Trout vs Barracuda
by SnydersOfHanover
Summary: The SBPD is turned upside down under the direction of interim Chief Harris Trout, while Shawn and Gus try to discover who is trying to murder a teenage girl. Meanwhile, Shawn and Juliet prepare to become parents. Sequel to "Family Jules" and 2nd in series "Better Than Pugs". Occurs following episode S7E14. Shules Fluff. Plot line rights reserved. I do not own characters.
1. Chapter 1

Gus, Shawn, Juliet, and Lassiter stood in the hallway of the SBPD, their mouths nearly dropping to the floor._ 'This couldn't be for real. Was this really happening?'_ Chief Vick was suspended for the next six months, and the new interim chief Harris Trout had not only demoted detectives Lassiter and O'Hara, but had informed Shawn and Gus that he would no longer be needing their "psychic" services. Their most recent case had ended with (to put it lightly) a _mild _disaster, prompting an investigation into their methods. Though any investigation involving Shawn Spencer was certainly unorthodox, _and_ it was no secret that the relationship between the "psychic" team and the detectives was less than professional, the investigative efforts of this foursome were always highly effective.

As they stood there in disbelief, Shawn and Juliet's gaze turned slowly toward each other. _'What were they going to do now? The timing couldn't be any worse.'_ Through the course of Trout's investigation, he had discovered that Shawn and Juliet shared a romantic relationship, but what he didn't find out was that their relationship was much more than casual inter-office dating. In fact, they were very newly engaged and expecting a baby. Both pieces of news were so far known only to a select few. Shawn had told only Gus and his father, and Juliet had told Chief Vick and, reluctantly, Lassiter after he found one of her sonograms.

The gang stood awkwardly, not knowing where to go or what to do next. Without a case to work on or leads to follow, they were just plain lost.

"Uh…I guess I'll…go to my desk and do some paperwork," said Lassiter sadly.

"Yeah…me too," said Juliet.

"Shawn, I think this means we need to go," said Gus.

"Yeeeaaah…No!," said Shawn. "I am not giving in that easily." Shawn charged into Trout's office.

"Shawn, No don't!," pleaded Gus and Juliet simultaneously.

"Spencer!," scolded Lassiter, "Don't make this any worse than it already is!"

It was too late, Shawn was already standing before Trout speaking his mind. "Look Trout, you seriously don't know what you're doing! Lassiter and O'Hara are the toughest detectives this department has ever seen! There are no other officers in this department who can do what they do. And Gus and I…we're like gobs of delicious icing on an already delectable cake…the four of us are like pineapple upside down cake with chocolate cream cheese icing…maybe a little odd…but delicious! And when I say delicious, I mean highly effective. Without Lassie and Jules on point and Gus and I helping them along, Santa Barbara will become the Detroit of the west. Sure, there is an abnormal amount of crime here, for such an easy going beach town, but _we _are the only ones who can keep it at least somewhat under control!"

Throughout Shawn's tirade, Trout stared blankly at him, and he stared blankly for a few more moments after Shawn was finished. Shawn waited anxiously for Trout's outburst…

"You're right," said Trout.

"Huh?"

"There isn't anyone else at this department who can fill Lassiter's and O'Hara's shoes. That's why I'm bringing in a new head detective pair. _And_, you know what? I think I'll split those two up. It's time they learn to work with someone who goes by the book. Now get out. You're no longer welcome here."

Lassiter and Juliet, who had overheard from outside the office, gasped.

"No. No. No. This can't be happening!," said Lassiter, "I've never worked well with anyone besides O'Hara."

Juliet was worried, "I can't work with anyone else…especially _now_…Gus?"

Gus was just standing there staring at the wall. When aroused by Juliet's voice, he let out a panicked cry and ran for the door.

Shawn exited Trout's office, defeated. By the looks on Lassie's and Jules's faces he could tell they overheard.

"Damnit Spencer!," shouted Lassiter, and he stomped away.

Shawn turned to Juliet. "Sweetie…," he said with pain in his eyes. Juliet was close to tears.

"You should go," she said. "We'll talk later at home." Then she leaned into him and softly pecked him on the cheek. "Thanks for trying," she said.

Trout peeked out of his office and motioned for Shawn to remove himself from the station.

(1Pineapple1)

"Gus, I really screwed up this time!" said Shawn back at the Psych Office. "I mean…worse than Steve Martin in _The Jerk_. Jules must be so disappointed in me. How am I going to fix this?"

"I hate to say it Shawn, but this may be one thing you _can't _fix. What's done is done. Winning back Chief Vick's affection is one thing, but Trout is nothing like Chief Vick. I doubt you can change his mind. Fortunately, he is only going to be here for six months. When Vick returns, she may be able to give Jules and Lassiter their jobs back and maybe even start hiring us again. Until then, we'll just have to get by with what we can. I'll take on a few more clients at Central Coast and we'll work some private cases…Shawn, you know that I am your still your best friend, so if there is anything I can do…"

"Thanks, Gus, but I can't depend on you anymore. Jules is engaged to me, not _you and me_. And that baby is _mine_." The thought of his tiny innocent son or daughter was both overwhelming and inspiring. "I need to show Jules that she can depend on me. I need to do this on my own."

"Do what?" asked Gus.

"I have no idea!" said Shawn

Gus tried to be reassuring. "You are the most resourceful person I know, Shawn. You'll figure something out. Just remember that I'm here…for whatever you need."

"Thanks, Gus," said Shawn. "You are the best friend a guy could ask for."

"Better than Skippy Handleman?"

"Better!"

"Arthur Fonzarelli?"

"Better!"

"Better than Paul Pfieffer from _The Wonder Years_?"

"Yes, Gus. Even better than Ethel Mertz."


	2. Chapter 2

Juliet rushed around the house, fluffing pillows and straightening pictures on the walls, while Shawn was stacking red, white, and blue paper plates and cups next to the smorgasbord they had spent all Saturday morning preparing. It was almost noon and their Fourth of July guests would be arriving any moment. Juliet was both nervous and excited. Aside from their house-warming party a few months earlier, this was the first time that she would be co-hosting a holiday barbecue at her own home with her own fiancé. She felt so grown-up and domesticated. Shawn, on the other hand, was little-boy excited for grilled steaks, fireworks, and lawn darts.

But party-throwing excitement aside, there was something else that Juliet, and even Shawn, had to be nervous about. Even though the usual crowd which included Gus, Lassiter, Shawn's dad Henry, and a few other work friends were expected, Juliet had specifically invited her whole family for the sole purpose of sharing her and Shawn's exciting news.

"Jules, relax. The house looks perfect," said Shawn as Juliet fidgeted with a vase of flowers on the foyer table. "What are you nervous about anyway? It's _your_ family. I'm the one who should be nervous."

"You don't have to worry, Shawn. My parents love you. And…I don't know…it's not every day you get to share life-changing news with your loved ones, and we're sharing two big pieces of news at once. I just want it to go well."

"Don't worry, it will," Shawn reassured her with a peck on her forehead.

The doorbell rang.

"Oh! They're here! They're here!" exclaimed Juliet. Even Shawn felt a lump forming in his throat when he realized his future in-laws were standing right on the other side of their front door. Shawn followed Juliet to the door and placed a gentle hand on her back as she opened it.

Juliet's expression changed from excitement to hesitation followed by disappointment when she saw it wasn't her family.

"Oh. It's you," said Shawn to Gus, who was standing on the doorstep holding a potato salad. Rachael and Max stood by his side.

"It's nice to see you too," said Gus. "May I come in?"

"Oh, Gus, Rachael, Max. Of course you can come in! _We_ _are_ glad you are here!" said Juliet, flashing a glare at Shawn.

"Sorry buddy," said Shawn, "We thought you were Jules's parents. Maxiiiimmusss!" he bellowed in a sports announcer's voice, and gave the boy a high five.

Just then, Lassiter's Red Ford Focus pulled up in front of the house, followed by Henry's beat up pick-up truck. Lassiter, Marlowe, and Henry with his new girlfriend Dr. Joan Diamond crossed the front lawn carrying covered dishes and Shawn and Juliet welcomed them inside.

"Please, take your food items to the kitchen and then make yourselves at home," said Juliet.

Officer McNab and his wife Francie arrived shortly after, followed by Chief Vick with her husband and daughter, and finally Woody the coroner, who handed Juliet, what looked like a tub of beef jerky. "Homemade. My own recipe," said Woody proudly, flashing a wink at Juliet.

"Everyone, thanks for coming," said Shawn. "Please help yourself to drinks and when the rest of the guests arrive we will start up the grill and a game of lawn darts."

"Shawn! I said no lawn darts! Those things are dangerous," scolded Juliet. Shawn sulked while Juliet shoved the jerky into his arms. "You better put this where no one can find it." Shawn wholeheartedly agreed and promised to bury it at the cemetery after the party, stating that's where is probably belonged anyway. Juliet gagged and gave him a horrified look. Even though Shawn's statement was obviously in jest, the SBPD coroner was creepy enough that she wasn't going to take the chance that there was some truth to Shawn's joke.

Everyone settled onto the deck with drinks in hand. "Remember," Shawn said to his friends and colleagues, "Jules's family still doesn't know about our _news_ so don't say anything about it until we make the announcement." Shawn picked up a roll of duct tape and ripped off a piece of tape. "Woody, this is for you." Juliet grimaced, but Woody obediently grabbed the tape and used it to cover his mouth. He and Shawn exchanged thumbs up.

The doorbell rang again. This time there was no denying who it was.

"Mom! Lloyd!" said Juliet excitedly, when she opened the front door. "Julie, dear!" exclaimed her mother, giving her a hug. "I missed you!" Lloyd gave his stepdaughter a bear hug and then reached out to shake Shawn's hand.

"Lloyd, Maryanne! It's good to see you again," said Shawn, shaking Lloyd's hand. He received an unexpected hug from his future mother-in-law.

Juliet's parents were followed by a crowd of Juliet's brothers, sisters-in-law, and nephews. She introduced them to Shawn, who still hadn't met any of Juliet's siblings aside from her brother Ewan. None of the family had heard from Ewan since he disappeared a few years earlier, and they seemed to prefer pretending he didn't exist. "Shawn, this is my brother Ian, his wife Charlotte and their boys Noah and Kirk," said Juliet indicating a tall pale man with red curls holding a similar-looking 5-year old, and short brown-haired woman carrying a fussy toddler. "And this is my brother Dylan," Juliet continued, "and his wife Eileen and their boys Isaac, Finn, and Drake. These nephews were older than the others and one of them was almost as tall as his flaxen-haired father and already taller than Juliet. "Hi Auntie Julie!" they all said happily.

"I am so excited that you are all here!" squealed Juliet. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Shawn!" The family politely greeted Shawn, who sensed that Juliet's brothers were still uncertain about him.

"It's…it's nice to finally meet you," Shawn said nervously. "Jules talks about you so much, it's like I already know you!...but, I mean, I don't really _know _you…I never even met you…I've just heard so much…I mean, not _so _much" Juliet elbowed Shawn. He silenced himself and shook everyone's hands. He gave the boys high fives as he repeated their names. Ian seemed impressed by this, but Dylan's expression didn't budge. Dylan was the oldest and most protective of Juliet's brothers. It was clear that Shawn's natural charisma wasn't going to be enough to win his affections. "Everyone, please make your way out to the deck. There are drinks in the cooler, appetizers in the kitchen…lawn games in the yard for the kids…and kids-at-heart…but don't worry, no darts!...I'll get the grill started. God bless America!"

Juliet took Shawn's hand as they followed her family to the deck. "Don't worry!," she whispered to him. Just be yourself."

"Really?" he whispered back. "I was going to be John Malkovich…but yeah, myself…that's probably better."

(2Pineapple2)

Shawn felt like he was trapped in an early 90's family movie. The scene in his back yard was almost picture perfect. A bunch of happy looking party-goers were mingling and munching on potato chips. Juliet's sisters-in-law were sharing stories about their kids with Rachael and Chief Vick, who at the moment had dropped all semblance of a tough chief of police and was more believable as a soccer mom. "Iris, be nice and share the ball with the boys!," she yelled across the lawn to her 7-year-old.

It looked like Henry and Lloyd were being their usual chummy selves and were entertaining Ian and McNab with stories about their fishing adventures. Juliet's nephews, along with Iris and Maximus had started up a game of freeze tag in the yard. The only things that seemed out of place were Lassiter, who was sitting by himself polishing one of his firearms and Woody who was mumbling something indecipherable through his duct-taped mouth to an uncomfortable-looking Marlowe and Francie.

Shawn was standing at the grill doing his best not to burn any of the burgers. Henry refused to help, stating that it was now Shawn's turn to step up and be the man, as if flipping meat patties was something that could only be accomplished with an appropriate amount of testosterone. He was pretending the burgers were ships on a Battleship board, announcing coordinates while moving them around the grill, when he heard a voice beside him yell "Miss!" He turned his head to discover that the speaker was Dylan. "Could you use some help with that?" asked Dylan, in a way that suggested he was stepping in the make sure the job was done correctly rather than to be helpful.

"Thanks, Dyl," said Shawn nervously, "but I've got this." Just then a flame erupted from inside the grill that made Shawn jump. He panicked, looking around him for something, anything, to put it out. Dylan nonchalantly grabbed a glass of water and splashed it on the flame. The fire went out immediately, revealing a bunch of charred, wet burgers. "Hit!" said Shawn in Battleship spirit, trying to lighten the mood. Dylan showed no hint of being amused, but immediately starting fixing up the grill and putting on some fresh meat.

"So, Juliet says you're a psychic detective," said Dylan while Shawn began to help him on the grill.

"Uh..yeah…," said Shawn. "That's actually how I met her. I work…uh, worked…for the SBPD a lot."

"Work_ed_?" asked Dylan, enunciating the "ed."

"Yeah, well, there's been a staff-change down at the station. The new chief won't hire me for cases anymore." Realizing that what he just said didn't make him sound very good he added, "He's a _non-believer. _His loss, I say. I could make his job a whole lot easier, if he was open to it."

"Uh-huh," said Dylan. Shawn wasn't sure if his terse response portrayed disinterest or disbelief.

After about 30 awkward and silent seconds, Dylan spoke up again. "Exactly, how does that work?"

"How does what work?" asked Shawn.

"Psychic detective. I mean…if you're psychic, then why do you need to be a detective? If you already know everything, then there's nothing to investigate, am I right?"

"Well, Dyl…"

"Dyl_an_"

"…Dyl_an_, the spirits don't always tell me _everything."_

"_Spirits?_"

"Yeah…" Shawn needed this conversation to end. Dylan was clearly unconvinced. He was saved, though, when Juliet approached and pulled him aside.

"Are you ready to do this?" she asked.

"Am I ready? Am I ready?! Was Bad Company _Ready for Love_? Were Rise Against _Ready to Fall_? Was Michael Buffer _Ready to Rumble_? Was…"

"Shawn, relax. We can do this." Juliet took him to a spot in front of the patio door where everyone could see them. She took her engagement ring from her pocket and slipped it onto her ring finger, then joined her hand with Shawn's.

"Everyone! If I could have your attention please!" shouted Juliet, but she was unheard over all of the chatter.

"Attention, everyone!" Shawn shouted louder. The chatter started to diminish and heads started to turn towards Shawn and Juliet. "May we have your attention, please," Shawn continued. "We have an announcement to make." All became silent and all eyes were on Shawn.

Juliet continued, nervously. "Hi everyone…friends…family. First, we want to thank all of you for coming. Secondly, I know that some of you are already in the loop, but Shawn and I have some exciting news to share with everyone who hasn't heard." She squeezed Shawn's hand to let him know he could continue.

"Ahem Hem!...Uh, Lloyd, Maryanne, O'Haras…everyone…Juliet and I are getting married!" he announced while lifting up her hand to show the diamond ring on her finger."

"Oh! Julie!" shouted Maryanne with joy, as she ran to give her daughter a hug and gape at the ring on her finger. Lloyd was obviously pleased, as he had been expecting this announcement sooner or later. He patted Shawn on the back and hugged Juliet. Charlotte and Eileen looked excited, and the boys cheered. Ian, though initially taken by surprise, was starting to form a smile on his face after seeing the excitement in his mother and stepfather. Dylan did not look happy though. Before all of the hugs could be completed, Juliet signaled to Shawn to get everyone's attention again.

"Wait!" he said. "There's more!" Everyone got still and quiet again. "We have something else to share with you." Shawn put his arm around Juliet's waist while everyone waited in anticipation.

"We're…" started Juliet. She stopped and then took a deep breath and squeezed Shawn's hand for reassurance. "Shawn and I …are going to have a baby."

At first there was an uncomfortable silence. No one seemed to be sure how to react. Maryanne's expression was of utter surprise and it seemed to take her a few moments to process what she had just heard. Finally, she cried, "Oh! My baby! You're having a baby!" There were tears in her eyes, but they were joyful tears as she embraced her daughter and future son-in-law at the same time. As if Maryanne's reaction governed everyone else's, the rest of the family began to cheer and congratulate the happy couple. Even Ian seemed elated. The friends and co-workers, who already knew about the engagement and the pregnancy simply smiled at the joyous reaction. The only one who didn't seem pleased was Dylan. In fact, his face was so red, Shawn was certain he would see steam coming from his ears at any moment. Woody finally ripped the duct tape from his mouth with a blood-curdling scream that brought everyone to silence. "Whew!" he said. "I'm glad that's over. Now can I eat?"

(3Pineapple3)

After all of the excitement had subsided, Shawn went into the yard to entertain all of the kids with some yard games and some Juliet-approved fireworks, while Juliet went to the kitchen to clean up a bit and prepare dessert. Maryanne followed her daughter to the kitchen to help out.

"Julie, let me take a look at you," said Maryanne as soon as they were alone, taking her daughter by the arms and holding her in front of her. "You look beautiful, sweetie! I should have noticed that glow about you. So, tell me, how far along are you? How have you been feeling?...and when did this happen?! I thought you two were splitting up?"

"Eight weeks so far. I've been struggling with morning sickness a bit, but otherwise I'm feeling great and everything is progressing smoothly….Mom, it's no secret that Shawn and I had a rough patch a while back, but….it was something we just needed to get through…and I think we are even stronger now because of it. I'll admit…the baby…was a complete surprise. It actually happened while we were separated…a moment of weakness." Maryanne frowned and tilted her head in confusion. "Don't worry! It's definitely Shawn's!," Juliet said in response, and mildly offended, added. "Who do you think I am?!"

"Sorry, honey. Go on," said her mother.

"Anyway, I didn't find out I was pregnant until we were already back together. Then, Shawn proposed, and it just felt right." She smiled.

"Jule, are you sure…?" began Maryanne, but she was interrupted by Juliet.

"Mom, I know what you are going to say. No, we are not getting married because of the baby. In fact, we haven't even talked about when this is all happening yet…probably not until after the baby is born. We have been hinting at the idea of marriage for a long time. Actually, I didn't even know it until the day he proposed, but Shawn had been holding onto an engagement ring for at least a year…not this one," Juliet added, while fiddling with the one on her finger. "That's a story for another time. In any case, it was going to happen sooner or later, but I'd be lying if I said the baby didn't speed it up a little." Juliet paused and noticed the still-not-fully-satisfied look on her mother's face.

"Mom, I love him," she said with sincerity. "I've been in love with him since long before we were even together, and he feels the same about me. I know he is a bit…eccentric. But that is what I love about him, and he is really good to me. And…I know what you are worried about, but I can assure you he's _not_ Dad. I have no doubts about this. This is what I want…what we both want, more than anything in the world. He makes me very happy," she finished, while looking out the window to admire her fiancé playing in the yard with all of the kids. They were all giggling and wore toothy grins. She knew he was going to make a loving father.

Maryanne smiled at the sight of her future son-in-law rough-housing with her grandsons and embraced her daughter. "As long as this is want you want, I am very happy for you! I love you, sweetheart"

"I love you too, mom!"

Both of them got back to arranging dessert. All the while, Juliet watched Shawn entertaining the kids. He definitely had grown up a lot lately. There was a time when she didn't even think he liked kids, but he was practically a kid himself then. He was actually very good with them from what she could tell so far. His own youthful spirit made him fun in their eyes. Only time would tell how he was as a father. Everything seemed to be falling into place. Well, almost everything. The situation down at the police station…Shawn's financial status without being hired for cases by the department…they were still iffy. Juliet was praying that all of it would work itself within the next few months. She sighed.

"What's wrong, Jule?" asked Lloyd. Juliet hadn't noticed that her mother had stepped out of the kitchen and was now replaced by her stepfather. Lloyd raised Juliet and her brothers, and knew them well. He could tell that something was troubling Juliet.

"Lloyd!," Juliet said, surprised. "I didn't see you there."

"Your mother asked me to help carry out the desserts. What are you sighing about in here? You weren't lying to your mother just now about…?"

"No. Of course not! Hey! Were you listening to our conversation?"

"Guilty as charged! Sorry Jule, you know it's only because I care."

"If you _must_ know, I am just a little worried about a situation at work…that's all."

"Oh yes," said Lloyd. "Henry told me about the new interim chief, and that he's not hiring Shawn for cases anymore." Shawn's dad and Juliet's step-dad had become buddies since they met at the house-warming party.

"Yeah, and he's not letting me work with Lassiter anymore. It's just a sticky situation…and poor timing, but it should be temporary. Don't worry, everything will work out, Lloyd, but…don't tell mom. I don't want her to worry."

"Ok, honey, but don't be stubborn! If you need anything, remember that your mom and I are not far away."

"I know," she said. "Thanks"

"You know, Jule," said Lloyd. "I like Shawn, and I am very excited for you."

"Thanks Lloyd! Now, could you talk to Dylan for me. I don't want him giving Shawn a hard time."

"Sure thing." Lloyd picked up a pie and a red, white, and blue Jell-O dish and left the kitchen.

(4Pineapple4)

A few hours later, Shawn and Juliet thanked and hugged all of their guests as the filed out the front door. Dylan and Lloyd were the last to exit. Shawn swallowed nervously as Dylan stopped and faced him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Dyl-_an_!" started Shawn. He invited Dylan to fist bump, but the offer was not taken. "Um…ok…" he coughed, and Juliet sighed quietly. Dylan lifted his hand, and instinctively Shawn flinched. He was surprised, though, when the hand firmly patted him on the shoulder. "You're not so bad," said Dylan. "Be good to her." He turned and left. Lloyd followed and aimed a wink at Juliet.

"Thank you!" she mouthed to him, and closed the door behind him.

"So that's it! We did it!" said Shawn. "First adult house party. Check. Impressed the future in-laws. Check. Now all that's left is to make sweet love to my beautiful fiancé."

"Shawn," said Juliet with a flirty smile. She put her arms around him and pulled him close. "I am _so _proud of you." She kissed him on the lips, then took his hand and led him towards the bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Several weeks had passed, and the SBPD had gone from sad to miserable. Lassiter was working under the new head detective Dave Crofton. Crofton was tough and obviously was not fond of Lassiter, who didn't take well to Crofton's unreasonable orders. In one sense it was as if Lassie was getting a taste of his own medicine. He was being treated like he used to treat his own subordinates, delegated to doing all of the tedious jobs and retrieving coffee. But even Shawn felt bad for him. Lassie had grown a lot during his seven years as head detective, and had shown that he was capable of being compassionate. Certainly it was Juliet's influence that had softened him.

Juliet, on the other hand was working with a younger detective Warren Wallace, or "WaWa" as Shawn liked to call him. The name fit him well, as he was an epic complainer. Juliet wondered why he even became a detective in the first place. He seemed to abhor his job, always putting in his best 50%; a number that could not be outweighed by Juliet's 110%. Worst of all, he did not seem to appreciate Juliet's efforts or care at all for her well-being. Juliet knew that trying to establish a trust with him was futile, and Shawn worried about her safety while working in the field with him.

Juliet and Lassiter rarely saw each other anymore. They tried to check in on each other as often as they could while they were at the station, but they hardly ever seemed to be there at the same time and their meetings were usually interrupted by Trout. It was almost as if Trout was trying to keep them apart. Lassiter, distrusting both Trout and Wallace, had instructed Juliet to call him immediately if she ever felt like she was in danger. Luckily, she hadn't had to resort to that so far.

In the meantime, Shawn and Gus too were seeing less and less of each other. Gus was keeping busy with his job at Central Coast Pharmaceuticals, while Shawn was working a lot of private, trailing-cheating husband cases. He hated sinking to that level, but the fact of the matter was that it paid well and he needed the cash. Shawn tried to balance this out by helping Juliet with her cases when he could, but he had to be careful not to let Wallace or Trout discover his involvement and he certainly wasn't getting paid for it. However, it did allow him the opportunity to keep an eye on Juliet and make sure Wallace wasn't putting her in harm's way.

(5Pineapple5)

Late on a Tuesday night, Shawn and Juliet were getting ready for bed. Shawn was already sitting on the bed in a white t-shirt and boxer shorts while Juliet removed her pantsuit and changed into cotton pajamas. It felt nice to get comfortable after such a long and grueling day. Shawn couldn't help but notice Juliet's abdomen just before she pulled her soft pink shirt over it. Juliet was now three and half months into her pregnancy and a modest bump was starting to show itself.

Though Juliet had been proudly wearing her engagement ring and everyone at the station was aware of her pending nuptials with Shawn, she had so far been able to hide her pregnancy from most of the station, and most importantly Trout and Wallace. She did not want to reveal it to them for fear of being relegated to desk duty. Without her, she thought that none of Wallace's cases would ever be solved. It was clear though, that she wouldn't be able to hide her growing belly much longer and the truth would soon have to come out.

Juliet finished her nightly routine and crawled into the bed, sitting up with her back leaning against the headboard. These quiet moments before bed were typically used to discuss the events of the day. Now that they weren't working together on a daily basis anymore, she and Shawn had to find time to share day-to-day happenings with each other.

"I missed you at dinner tonight," said Shawn. Juliet was supposed to have joined Shawn and Gus for tacos but had been caught up with a case.

"I'm sorry honey. I would much rather have been eating tacos with you but I was busy cleaning up Wallace's mess."

"What did WaWa do this time?" Shawn asked.

"We went to arrest a man named Diego Lopez on armed robbery charges…you know, the robbery at Bob's Minutemart last week. Well, Wallace was keeping him in position while I was cuffing him. Wallace's phone rang, and the idiot actually tried to answer it _while _keeping Lopez in position. Next thing I know, Lopez pushes me to the ground, elbows Wallace, and makes a run for it. I spent the next four hours tracking him down again so we could finally take him into custody."

"Damn!" said Shawn, a little angry at the thought of his girl being put in danger, "How did WaWa ever even make it through the academy?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Juliet. "The worst part _is_, Trout isn't doing anything about it. Chief Vick would have had a cow if something like that happened to Lassiter or me. Wallace didn't even get a reprimand and he's acting like it's all somehow _my _fault."

Shawn saw Juliet starting to get worked up and tried to lighten the mood. "Well, WaWa is a stinky-face, and for that matter, so is Trout. Trout smells like…rotten…well, _trout_. And, can I say? Thank _God_ Trout didn't have cow, because I don't even want to imagine what kind of hideous aquatic-livestock-beast that would turn out!"

Juliet laughed. There was something about his boyish charm that made her feel good. Even so, it was hard to just let go of her frustrations. She sighed.

"Jules…," started Shawn with worry in his voice. "Maybe it's time you _tell _Trout, and transfer to desk duty."

"Shawn, we talked about this," said Juliet impatiently. "I am still perfectly capable of doing my job. And, my job is more important now than ever. I can't leave the city of Santa Barbara in Wallace's and Crofton's hands!"

"Lassiter's still out there!" argued Shawn. "Wow, I can't believe I just said that…"

"That's true," said Juliet, "but he can only do as much as Crofton will let him do. Wallace may be an awful partner but at least I can have some level of control over things."

"I know…I just don't trust WaWa. If it was Lassiter out there with you, I would probably feel different. I know you say you can take care of yourself, but it's different when you don't have a partner who has your back."

Juliet was silent, thinking over Shawn's words. "I'll…think about it," she said. "I mean…I won't be able to keep this quiet much longer," she said while massaging her belly. Her gaze lingered for a few moments on her bump before she changed the subject. She turned to Shawn, and asked "So how was your day?"

"Oh…you know…followed around another sleazeball. Found him meeting, _not one_, but two different mistresses at different cheap motels. Solved the case. Got paid. I can't really say I'm proud of myself."

"I'm sorry," said Juliet. "…you know, you don't have to work those cases if you don't want to."

"Uhhh…I know," said Shawn, "I can't just…do nothing…though. Gus and I have worked a few legitimate cases, but those are not enough to pay the bills. I have to do my part. I don't want to let you two down." Shawn put a hand on her stomach.

Juliet put her hand on top of Shawn's. "What about the money you got from Ed?," she asked. "You must have some leftover after the ring." Juliet was referring to the compensation Shawn had received for return of his grandmother's ring to the original owners. The Habsburg family had given him a very generous amount and he had used part of it to get Juliet a shiny new engagement ring.

"Before all this happened, I put the rest of that money in an account for Starfi…I mean…the baby. (Juliet hated when he called their child 'Starfish.' Why would he want to name his kid after a sea creature anyway?). It's his…or hers…now. I'm not going to touch that."

"Shawn, I am very proud of you for that, and for how hard you have been working, but I would rather my baby's father be _happy _and someone that he can look up to. I don't want you to lose your youthful spirit. That is one of the reasons I fell in love with you. Money is just money. It's not worth losing yourself over."

"Oh, sweetheart. You are awesome! How did I get so lucky?" said Shawn as he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He picked up the hand that was on top of his and started to kiss it, but suddenly stopped. "Did you say '_he'?_" Shawn asked looking at Juliet's belly.

"Oh, _Shawn_, it was just something I said. Today I'm calling the baby a 'he.' Yesterday, it was a 'she.' You know we won't find out for a few more weeks."

"I knooowww," said Shawn. "I just got excited. I can't wait to finally know so I can stop calling it a he-she!"

"Or Starfish!," Juliet added.

"Oh. I'm still calling him-her Starfish. It will grow on you soon, you'll see"

"I don't think so," she said.

Shawn finished kissing her hand, then kissed her belly and turned off the light so they could cuddle up and fall asleep.

(6Pineapple6)

A few days later, Shawn settled in for another day at the Psych Office. He was taking a break from working sketchy cases, but was hoping he could find something real for Gus and himself to work on. He would scour the news and police reports for anyone who seemed like they could use his expertise. Gus was at the Psych office too, since it had become routine for him to start his mornings there before going out on his route.

"How's it going, old friend?" Shawn greeted Gus. "Long time, no see."

"Tell me about it," said Gus. "I had forgotten how boring pharmaceutical sales really is. I miss working cases. Chief Vick can't come back soon enough."

"Amen to that!" said Shawn. "Jules is miserable too. I'm trying to convince her to transfer to desk duty, but you know how she is…"

"Stubborn?" said Gus "…just like somebody else I know," he winked.

Shawn clicked his tongue "Come on son!"

"You know, if stubbornness is an additive trait, you two are in big trouble."

"Yeah, I know…Look, Gus. I am going to find us an actual case. There have got to be some people that the Trout-led SBPD has turned away and we are going to help them." Shawn changed the subject. "Any news on the Rachael front?" Although, Rachael had been able to make some visits to Santa Barbara, she still wasn't able to stay in the U.S. permanently until her visa renewal was complete.

"Actually, yeah!" said Gus, looking much happier at the mention of her name. "She finished squaring away her visa issues much sooner than expected, so she's coming home early! Seeing Rachael again is the only thing that is keeping me going."

"That's awesome Gus! I gotta say, I love you two together. You're like…Kevin and Winnie.

"That would make you Josh Saviano."

"Uh…Chandler and Monica?"

"Either Matt LeBlanc or David Schwimmer."

"No. No. That's not it…I know. Corey and Topanga!

"That makes you Rider Strong."

"Uh…yeah, I guess that's ok…considering my options. So when is Rachael getting here?"

"End of the week!" said Gus happily.

"Awesome! We'll do another one of those double-date thingies. Jules and I could both use a night out."

"Sounds great!"

Suddenly, they heard a knock and looked up to see a teenage girl in the doorway. Her black hair was streaked with hot pink and turquoise and she was dressed in all black, complete with chains, fishnets, and combat boots.

"Uh…hi," said Shawn.

"Hi," she said. She was unexpectedly polite, considering her appearance. "Sorry I just walked in. The door was open."

"No problem," said Gus, getting up. "Please, come in."

Shawn rose from his seat. "Hi, I am Shawn Spencer, and this is my partner Yancy "Purpletooth" Jackman." She momentarily screwed up her eyebrows at the silly name and then seemed to accept it. "What is your name and what can we help you with?" asked Shawn.

"Hi Shawn, Yancy…" She shook their hands.

"Please, call me Gus," said Gus.

"Ok…, Gus? My name is Avery…and…I think someone is trying to kill me."


	4. Chapter 4

"Um…wow! Right to the point. I like it," said Shawn. And, what makes you think someone is trying to kill you?" he continued, seriously. Avery seemed surprised at Shawn's readiness to listen to her.

"Well…last week…I was hanging out at an abandoned factory down by the marina with some friends. I went outside for a smoke and I saw something…someone.

"Whoa! You were doing what?!" said Shawn. "Where are your parents?!"

She rolled her eyes. "My mom is dead, and my dad doesn't give a f…"

"Hey, missy! Watch that mou… Oh my God. Gus, help me. I'm turning into my dad!"

"Avery, please continue," said Gus, ignoring Shawn.

"Um…anyway. I saw this creepy man. I don't know what he was doing there, but he seemed really angry when I saw him. He…he…" Avery was having trouble continuing.

"It's ok. You can tell us," said Gus compassionately.

"He pointed a gun at me."

Shawn and Gus exchanged uneasy glances. This could be more serious than they thought.

Avery continued. "Well…I turned around and ran out of there as fast as I could. He followed me for a while, until I found my friends. Then we all got the hell out of there! Ever since, strange things have been happening. I've been getting cryptic phone calls…seeing strange men following me…getting in nearly fatal accidents everywhere I go. I am afraid to be alone, anymore! The police won't help me! Please, I need your help!" Her last few words were spoken through tears and filled with fear.

"Don't worry, Avery," said Shawn. "You've come to the right place. Gus and I can help you."

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said and pulled both men in for hug. Shawn and Gus stood awkwardly until the hug was over.

Shawn coughed. "Uh…now, tell us some more about this creepy dude you saw…"

(7Pineapple7)

At the SBPD, all of the detectives and other officers were gathering for a briefing. Juliet settled in next to Wallace and noticed a somber looking Carlton Lassiter across the room. Lassiter looked up and caught Juliet's eye. She gave him a quick smile, which seemed to lighten him up a little. As they were waiting for Chief Trout to begin the briefing, Juliet glanced at Wallace who was messing with his cell phone. It looked like he had gotten a text from a contact called "M.O.M." Seeing Juliet looking at him, he blocked her view of his phone with his other hand. She knew she had seen that contact appear on his phone more than once before, including the moment when Lopez escaped. 'Was he really getting all of these calls and texts from his mom? If so, then why was he being so secretive about it? It all seemed very suspicious and made her feel uneasy.

Trout began the briefing. Several more armed robberies had occurred around the city since they had arrested Lopez. It was starting to look like they were connected, but as Lopez had been in jail, they knew it wasn't him. In fact, all evidence pointed to a larger organization being responsible for these crimes and they had reason to suspect a well-known group called _El Chotacabras_. Despite multiple interrogations, Lopez refused to corroborate their suspicions. However, Crofton suspected a potential location for the group's headquarters, and Trout was sending all teams over there to check it out and hopefully take down their operation. For the first time in a long while Lassiter and Juliet would be working the same scene, though not necessarily side-by-side.

Just before it was time to go, Juliet took advantage of the hustle and bustle to sidle over to Lassiter's desk unnoticed. "Carlton!" she said softly.

Lassiter's face lit up for a moment, "O'Hara," he said. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Good. I mean…as good as I can be…considering," she answered. "Shawn's doing ok. I'm healthy. The baby's healthy. How about you? You seem sad…"

"Yeah…it's just…," he glanced at Crofton in disgust.

"I know," said Juliet. "Let's just hope everything gets back to normal when Chief Vick comes back. And how is Marlowe?"

A smile crept onto Lassiter's face at the mention of her name. "She's wonderful!" Then his face turned sad again.

"Carlton, what is it?" asked Juliet, concerned.

"Remember when I said Marlowe and I were trying for a baby?" Juliet nodded, and he continued. "Well, it's been almost 6 months and…" He trailed off.

"It hasn't happened yet." Juliet completed his sentence with a frown, and he nodded in confirmation.

"I'm starting to worry that we can't…we can't…" It was too hard to finish the sentence.

"Carlton, sometimes these things take time. Just give it a little time," said Juliet.

"Yeah! That means so much coming from someone who wasn't even trying!"

"Carlton!"

"Sorry."

Juliet didn't really know what to say and didn't want to egg on another insult. After a few more moments she brought up the real reason she had come to talk to him. "Lassiter," she said. She tended to call him Lassiter, rather than Carlton when the subject came to work. Her voice got quiet. "There's something…odd…going on with Wallace."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"He's been taking these phone calls…I thought they were from his mom…the contact that comes up on his phone says M-O-M. But, it's weird because it doesn't sound like he's talking to his mom…and he always gets all secretive when he gets the calls, like he doesn't want me to see or hear him. Plus, the contact is spelled M.O.M. in all caps, like they are initials for something. I've never seen the actual number though."

As she said this, Lassiter's eyes got bigger and bigger. Juliet noticed. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"555-0967," he said. "Crofton has been secretly getting phone calls from that number, and it's listed as MOM. He thought I didn't notice, but I've been keeping an eye him."

"You think they could be involved in something?" Juliet asked in a fearful whisper. But before Lassiter could answer, Trout announced that everyone was to prepare for departure. He shot a glare at Lassiter and Juliet, and the two of them split up without a word and joined their respective partners.

(8Pineapple8)

Wallace's car pulled up to a warehouse near the marina and Juliet and Wallace got out. Lassiter and Crofton pulled up behind them followed by three black and whites. Crofton quietly led all of the officers through a side door and they followed, firearms in hand. Crofton stopped and instructed everyone to stay quiet and to keep hidden, and then continued carefully on his own. Juliet crouched next to Wallace behind a wooden crate. Her eyes momentarily met with Lassiter's who was crouched behind another crate across from them.

It seemed like they had been waiting an eternity for Crofton's next signal. Juliet heard voices in the distance and suspected these were the men that they were looking for. She glanced over to Wallace and saw him fidgeting with his cell phone again. She carefully peeked at the screen and again saw the "M.O.M." and tried to distinguish the number below it. '555-09..' She couldn't see the whole thing, but she was feeling pretty confident that it would end in '67' just as Lassiter had predicted. _"Why was he checking his messages now?"_ she thought.

Suddenly, Juliet felt a fluttering in her stomach. It was nothing like she had ever felt before, and the suddenness of it made her gasp. Lassiter noticed her reaction but Wallace was oblivious. Instinctively, she positioned her free hand to her stomach to feel the strange movement. Just as she was realizing what had just happened, Crofton called everyone to move forward. Juliet tried to stand up and follow, but she found herself locked in place by a sudden wave of extreme fear. She had done this kind of thing a thousand times, but for some reason this time she was terrified. Wallace had already charged ahead, but Lassiter, who was concerned, lagged back and called her name. His voice was enough to rouse her to action and they headed in to surround a group of five members of _El Chotacabras._

The suspects were ready for them. Bullets started to fly. Officers and criminals started yelling and moving in every direction. Juliet's fear returned. Everything around her was a blur and noises of screams and gunshots sounded like they were miles away. One gunshot rang louder than all of the rest, and the next thing Juliet knew she was on the ground, Lassiter on top of her. The gunshots stopped and Juliet heard the sound of footsteps running away from them. An officer yelled, "They got away!" and then all was quiet. Lassiter was sitting up as Juliet's head started to clear. She saw blood on her hands where she had just been holding onto Lassiter and then noticed a gush of the red liquid coming from a hole on his arm.

"You're bleeding!" she said.

"Don't worry, it's just a flesh wound," said Lassiter. He had been grazed by the bullet that was meant for Juliet. "Are you ok? What happened to you?!," he said.

"I…don't know…" said Juliet.


	5. Chapter 5

An hour after the shootout, Lassiter and Juliet stood in the office that formerly belonged to Chief Vick being chewed out by Trout. Lassiter's arm was wrapped and bound in a sling. He had a frustrated look on his face but was trying hard to be respectful. Juliet looked as if she was sick to her stomach. Wallace and Crofton stood by. They seemed to have sidestepped Trout's wrath.

"Detective Lassiter! What were you doing out there?!"

"Sir," began Lassiter. "I saw my fellow officer in danger and followed my instincts. If I hadn't pushed O'Hara out of the way she most certainly would have been severely injured or killed."

Juliet swallowed deeply, trying not to let her tears fall.

"Lassiter, do I need to remind you that you are now Crofton's partner, not O'Hara's! While you were busy seeing to _her_, you failed to assist your partner in apprehending the head of a major criminal operation and he got away. As noble as you think your actions, protecting O'Hara is no longer your responsibility."

"With all due respect, Chief Trout, if Wallace had had his partner's back like he was supposed to, I wouldn't have had to step in." Both Wallace and Crofton roared in protest and a heated argument began.

"Stop!" shouted Juliet, speaking up for the first time. "I can clear all of this up." Everyone turned their attention to her. "It was _my _fault. I…I choked. I failed to follow my partner to the scene, so he must have lost track of me." She took a deep breath. "Lassiter had to protect me, because…well, because it wasn't just me he was protecting…" Everyone had a confused look, except for Lassiter who knew what she was about to say. "He was protecting my unborn child." Trout's eyes grew wide with surprise and Wallace's jaw dropped.

"You're pregnant?" Trout asked, still sounding surprised.

"Yes," said Juliet.

"And Lassiter knew about this?"

"Yes"

"Everybody out!" yelled Trout, "…except O'Hara." The three men turned and left, and Lassiter placed a comforting hand on Juliet's shoulder as he left. For the next several minutes Trout berated Juliet. She didn't argue, or even say a word. She stood there and took it. Despite his anger though, Trout didn't fire her. Instead he informed her that she would be transferred to desk duty, effective immediately. She didn't object. She knew it was time.

When Trout's rant was over and he invited her to leave, Juliet exited the office to find Shawn standing before her.

"Lassiter called me," he said.

Juliet wrapped her arms around Shawn's broad shoulders and held him tight. Finally her tears began to fall. Shawn reciprocated the embrace and rubbed her back with comforting hands. Lassiter looked on from his desk several feet away. _"Maybe Spencer isn't so bad for her,"_ he thought.

Trout peeked out from his office, his face getting angrier than it already was when he spotted Shawn. "What are you doing here? I told you, you are not welcome in this station anymore!"

"What is wrong with you?" said Shawn. "This is my fiancé! You think I came here just to piss you off?!" Trout didn't respond. Juliet ended their embrace and hid her teary face in Shawn's chest. "I'm taking her home now." Shawn gently guided Juliet away, but stopped mid-step and turned. "By the way, if I ever again hear of you treating her like you just did, you can be sure you'll be seeing me here again!"

(9Pineapple9)

Even by the time they got home, Juliet was so shaken up by the events of the day that Shawn insisted she immediately change into her pajamas and head to bed. She was lying on her side, head buried in her pillow, when Shawn came to her with a tray of hot soup and toast. Juliet had hardly said a word since leaving the station but thanked Shawn for his thoughtfulness and attempted to stomach the food even though she didn't have much of an appetite. Shawn stripped down to his undershirt and boxers and sat on the bed next to her. He didn't push her to talk about what just happened. He knew that she would talk about it when she was ready.

"I felt the baby move," she said out of nowhere.

Shawn perked up. "What…just now?" he said.

"No, earlier…right before the shootout. That's why I…I just got really scared." Her eyes started to water again.

"Shh…Jules," said Shawn rubbing her back. "I…I'm sure that's normal. It was just your motherly instincts kicking in."

"We…we could have died…," she wept. "I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have been out there."

"Jules, there's no use worrying about what should or shouldn't have happened. That's all in the past. The important thing is that you are ok now."

"Thanks to Lassiter," she said.

"Yeah, thanks to Lassiter," agreed Shawn. Shawn moved the tray of half-eaten food from the bed. He put his arms around Juliet, pulled her close, and rocked her gently as she cried.


	6. Chapter 6

Life had changed considerably for Shawn and Gus in the last few months. Now that both of them were coupled up and their relationships getting more serious, it was hardly ever just Shawn and Gus anymore. Now it was usually Shawn and Juliet and Gus and Rachael, and even sometimes Maximus. Double dates had become a regular occurrence. Without Juliet working in the field, and Shawn's and Gus's lightened load, life was becoming more easygoing. Sure, both Shawn and Juliet knew that before long they would both be itching for some quick-paced crime-solving action again, but for now the slow pace was nice. It gave them a chance to enjoy some much-needed couples time before life got crazy again…before their lives would be filled with bottles, dirty diapers, and sleepless nights on top of the usual sting operations, interrogations, and mountains of paperwork.

It was a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon of doing nothing. Maximus was spending the day with friends, which Gus and Rachael thought was the perfect opportunity for a double lunch date on the pier. Shawn and Juliet were glad for the invitation and joined their friends on the patio of one of their favorite spots overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

"Rachael, you might not know this, but Gus was actually a back-up dancer for Destiny's Child during his college days…stage and video. So next time you are watching the _Bootylicious _video, that is if MTV ever starts playing music videos again, keep an eye out for a sweet high top fade."

"Suck it, Shawn!," said Gus. "Rachael, I was never a dancer for Destiny's Child, _and _I shaved my high top fade in 1995, two years before Destiny's Child recorded their first album. Plus _Bootylicious _wasn't released until 2001."

"And yet...you know that," said Shawn.

Gus clicked his and tongue in annoyance and embarrassment. "Suck it, Shawn!" Rachael and Juliet laughed.

"Oh!" said Juliet in surprise, and placed her hand on her now obvious baby bump. "Shawn, feel this!" She said excitedly putting his hand on her belly."

"Whoa! My boy has some strong leg muscles!"

"Or girl!" added Juliet

"Either way," said Shawn. "Narwhal certainly has inherited my calves of steel."

"Narwhal?" questioned Rachael.

"The baby's name is _not _Narwhal, or Starfish,_or_ Flounder, or any sea creature for that matter," clarified Juliet. "He _or _she doesn't have a name yet."

"When will you find out the sex?" asked Gus. He was almost as excited about it as the parents, themselves.

"Gus," Shawn laughed. "Obviously Jules and I already know about sex. You don't need to give us '_the talk'_ again. It's a little late for that."

"No…Boy. Or. Girl., Shawn!"

Juliet answered, "_Three _days! I can't wait!"

"You'll be the first to know, buddy," said Shawn.

"You know that's right!"

"Gus, Rachael! This is fun. Thanks for inviting us out!" said Juliet.

"Of course!," said Rachael with her English accent. "You know, when I first met Shawn…well, I didn't like him that much."

"That's because he accused you of murder the first time you met him," Gus pointed out.

Juliet rolled her eyes. That sounded just like Shawn.

"I accuse all of Gus's girlfriends of murder," said Shawn, "It's like a rite of passage."

"That's true," agreed Gus.

Rachael continued, "But, it turns out Shawn isn't so bad, and if I hadn't given him a chance I wouldn't have had the pleasure of getting to know Juliet. It's hard making friends as a single mom."

"Aww…thanks!," said Juliet. "It's hard making friends as a cop too, especially female ones. To be honest, I don't really have any close female friends, so it's nice to have another woman to talk to, especially another mom."

"It's my pleasure, Juliet! Don't hesitate to call if you ever need to talk." The girls started chattering about babies, childbirth and breast-feeding, while Shawn and Gus sat by awkwardly.

"Ohhh…ok!" interrupted Shawn. "That's enough estrogen for today…" he paused when he saw a familiar face in an unfamiliar location. Everyone turned to see who he was looking at. "McNab?" said Shawn to the large, buff-looking waiter approaching their table.

"Oh. Hi guys, Juliet. It's good to see you. You all look well, _and _radiant." He directed the last word toward Juliet, who blushed.

"Thanks, Buzz," she responded, "and, no offense, but you look awful!"

"Yeah, man," added Shawn, "You haven't been playing _Grand Theft Auto _again? Do we need to have another intervention?"

It was true. The usual very chipper and clean shaven police officer was now disheveled and sporting a 5 o'clock shadow and bags under his eyes. He looked embarrassingly at the floor. "Is it really that noticeable?" he asked sheepishly.

"For a moment I thought you were Nick Nolte," said Shawn.

Buzz, ashamed, said, "Well, I've had to pick up a couple extra jobs since Trout fired me." He frowned. "I've hardly slept in three days, and I haven't been able to spend time with my Francie in weeks."

"I'm sorry, Buzz," frowned Juliet. She couldn't help but think that Buzz's misfortune was partially her fault, a little more Shawn's fault, but hers too. "On the bright side, there are only two more months of Vick's suspension. I'll talk to her. I am sure she will hire you back. You may have to quit your 'night job' though."

"Didn't you hear?!" said Buzz, surprised.

"Hear what?"

"Vick's suspension has been extended another 6 months and, you didn't hear this from me, but it sounds like Trout is trying to make it permanent."

"What? No! That can't be true!" Juliet panicked, "I would have heard…" She started to wonder about the stability of her own job and whether she and Lassiter would ever be partners again. Shawn, too, couldn't hide his worry.

"Well, maybe you wouldn't have heard, I guess. It's not exactly general knowledge," said Buzz. "The announcement hasn't been made at the station yet."

"McNab, how do _you_ know this?!" asked Shawn.

Buzz looked as if he had been caught in a lie. His eyes darted back and forth across the outdoor patio, and he leaned in closer to the table, whispering. "Don't tell this to anyone, but Lassiter and I have been working together on an investigation of sorts."

"You and _Lassiter_?" Gus piped in. He needed to know if he'd heard correctly.

Shawn stood up and started squinting into the bright blue sky.

"Shawn, what are you doing?" asked Juliet.

"Oh, I was just looking for pigs."

"Pigs?"

"Yeah…like maybe some potbellies or even those adorable teacup-sized ones, preferably with wings, or maybe even flying a tiny propeller plane! Gus, how cute would that be?! Quick, call Hell and find out what the weather is down there!"

"Ok, I get it," said McNab. "Why would Lassiter want to open an investigation with me? Honestly, I don't know for sure. He just showed up at my door one day, going on about his new partner and something about an M-O-M." Juliet's heart raced at the reminder of the mysterious phone calls. It seemed her sudden change in lifestyle had completely pushed it out of her mind. Buzz continued, "Lassiter was suspecting that his and Juliet's new partners were involved in some sort of criminal activity. My guess is that he wanted someone no longer associated with the SBPD to help him out."

"Why didn't he call ME?!" asked Shawn.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think he wanted there to be any chance that Detective O'Hara would find out what he was up to. Oops… Maybe I shouldn't have said anything to you guys."

"Why wouldn't he want me to know?!" exclaimed Juliet.

"He was protecting you Juliet," said Gus.

"That's absurd!" said Juliet.

"Can you honestly say you wouldn't have gotten involved in the investigation if you knew about it?" argued Gus.

"Well, no…But I _did _know about it…I mean, not that he was investigating with McNab, but I knew about M-O-M. I was the one who first brought it up to him."

"Jules, if you suspected that your partner was up to something, why didn't you ever say anything to me before?" asked Shawn.

"I don't know…I guess I wasn't really sure about it…it was just a little suspicious behavior…a feeling…but nothing concrete. I mentioned it to Lassiter right before we left for the warehouse that day…the day of the…" Just thinking about the event was bringing back the fear that she thought she had gotten over.

"It's ok, Jules. I know what day you are talking about."

She continued, "Well, with everything that happened and then being put on desk duty, I guess I just…forgot."

"What is it that you forgot, sweetheart?" asked Shawn.

"The phone calls," she said. "Crofton and Wallace were both secretly communicating with someone called M-O-M at a specific number…um, it was…555-0..9…uh.."

"555-0967," said Buzz.

"Wait! I know that…" said Shawn

"You do?!" Juliet asked, stunned.

Shawn put his fingers to his temples as he tried to remember where he had seen it before. It had been a few months earlier. They were in Chief Vick's office. There was a half-eaten _Balance _bar next to the ringing phone. A large, pale, veiny hand reached for it.

"They were communicating with Trout's mother?" he concluded and questioned at the same time.

"What are you talking about, Shawn?" asked Gus.

"555-0967. That is Trout's mother's phone number. I am sure of it!"

"Or, maybe it wasn't _really_ his mother…" said Gus, "M-O-M."

"Oh, no! McNab, this thing may be bigger than you think."

(10Pineapple10)

Two months had passed since Avery walked into the Psych office asking for Shawn's and Gus's help, and still the identity of her creepy dude was a mystery. In fact, Shawn was starting to see why the SBPD had turned her away…besides the fact that the place was currently run by an incompetent bunch of boobs. It made sense why her friends and family refused to acknowledge that she was in danger. So far, Shawn could find no evidence that anyone was trailing her or had attempted to hurt her in any way. He was starting to wonder if she was making it all up, or imagining it. She did seem to be a troubled girl. Maybe she was just trying to get attention or she was just paranoid. On the first day of the investigation, she had taken Shawn to the marina where she said she saw the man. Shawn, however, wasn't able to find anything to suggest that anything was going on down there, besides normal marina goings on. Shipments going in, shipments coming out, nothing remotely suspicious.

Avery's "accidents" seemed like just that, accidents. The first one was when her car swerved off the road and hit a tree. She claimed that she saw a suspicious man standing in the road and she swerved to miss him, but by the time she had gotten out of the car, the man was gone. The second time, she nearly fell off of a bridge while walking across the interstate. She said she felt like she had been pushed by someone, but there was no sign of anyone who might have done it in the vicinity. The third was a bicycle accident. Then she thought someone had poisoned her school lunch. In every case, there wasn't any evidence of foul play, only her word. And being that she was known among her friends and teachers and her father to often "stretch the truth," it was no wonder nobody believed her. He was considering giving up on the investigation and instead suggest she find a therapist.

It was late and the sun had disappeared behind the ocean adjacent to the Psych office. Shawn was wrapping up some Google searches that were getting him nowhere and was about to head home. His cell phone rang in his pocket. He was certain it would be Jules, asking him to pick her up some pickles and strawberry ice cream, or whatever she happened to be craving at the time. But it wasn't. He didn't recognize the number. "Hello?" he asked cautiously.

"Shawn, Help me! Please!" said a somewhat familiar voice in a panicked whisper.

"Avery?"

"Yeah. Shawn, I am at home. There is someone here. I saw him outside, I think he's trying to break in. I'm scared!

"Avery, are you _absolutely _sure? Where's your dad?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Dad's out of the country at a conference. I'm here alone. Please just do something!"

"Ok. You just keep yourself hidden and I'll be over right away." He suspected she was just over-reacting or asking for attention, but didn't want to take the chance that he was wrong.

(11Pineapple11)

Shawn's motorcycle pulled up to the luxurious Spanish home overlooking the Santa Barbara skyline, where Avery lived with her father. He expected to find the home standing quietly and to find Avery inside, maybe a little upset, but otherwise safe and sound. But he was wrong. As soon as the house came into view it was clear that something was seriously wrong. The backside of the house was engulfed in flames and he heard screams emanating from an upstairs window. After quickly dialing 9-1-1 and reporting the incident, he headed inside.

"Avery?! Where are you?"

"Shawn! Help me!" he heard her muffled voice scream. "I'm up here! I'm trapped! Help!

Shawn raced up the stairs and saw that the far end of the hallway was red with flames, and the fire was starting to make its way in his direction. He carefully headed towards it while covering his face. Checking inside each room and calling for Avery as he did.

"I'm in here!" he heard coming from one of the far rooms. Although the room was not yet fully engulfed by the fire, a burning beam was blocking the doorway. He peeked into the room and saw Avery huddled in the corner, trying to keep as far away from the flames as she could.

"I see you!" he said, "Just sit tight."

Shawn doubled back into what looked like her father's room and ripped the comforter from the bed. He took it to the bathroom across the hall and proceeded to soak it with cold water and then draped it over himself like Harry Potter donning his invisible cloak, then forced his way through the flames and to Avery. She had stopped screaming and appeared to be having trouble breathing.

"He did it," she wheezed.

"Who did what?" asked Shawn.

"The man…_wheeze_…the creepy guy…_wheeze…_he was here." She coughed and then said through another wheeze, "he started the fire…I know it."

"Ok. Ok. We can talk about this later. First we have to get you out of here." He picked her up, pulling the comforter over both of them and forced his way back through the flames and out of the house. By the time he reached the driveway, there were already fire trucks and ambulances waiting for them. A couple of paramedics rushed to assist Shawn and Avery and before long the two of them were on an ambulance and on their way to the hospital. Just before the vehicle pulled out, Shawn was sure he saw from the back window a person, a muscular blonde-haired someone, slinking creepily into the bushes.


	7. Chapter 7

"Shawn! What happened?!" said a panicked Juliet, hobbling into the waiting room as fast as her pregnant body would take her. "I got a call from the hospital! They said you were…" She was relieved to find her fiancé, aside from some bandaged burns on his hands and lower arms, alive and unharmed. She threw herself into his arms. "Thank God! You're Ok."

"I'm fine sweetheart, there's nothing to worry about." He tried to stroke her hair, but the bandages and pain in his hands made it difficult.

"What happened? Where were you?" spoke Juliet with a sense of both relief and anger.

"It was Avery. She was in trouble. I had to help her."

"Avery? Who's Avery?" questioned Juliet

"Remember the teenage girl I was telling you about…the one that Gus and I were helping."

"Yeah…I thought you said there was nothing to that case."

"Yeah, well I was dead wrong. Someone tried to kill her tonight. I just need to prove it." He was ready to start investigating right there on the spot.

"Shawn, it's been a long night. You should come home. Arson and forensics will investigate the scene tonight and then you can get back to the case in the morning."

"No. I can't do that. Avery doesn't have anyone. I need to stay here until I'm sure she's ok."

Juliet nodded. It was this kind of compassion that had made her fall in love with him in the first place. "Ok. I'll stay with you, then."

"Nonsense," said Shawn. "You and little Barracuda Spencer need to rest."

Juliet didn't even bother to argue the ridiculous name this time. "How about I just stay for a little while then?"

"That would be nice" said Shawn

(11.5Pineapple11.5)

Shawn and Juliet were curled up together on a waiting room chair fast asleep, when they were awoken by a nurse.

"She's awake," said the nurse to Shawn.

Shawn got up and Juliet followed holding his hand as he left the waiting room and turned the corner into Avery's room. Avery was sitting up in her hospital bed, bandages covering burns on various spots on her body. She looked worn down and defeated. Juliet stood by next to the door while Shawn approached Avery's bedside.

"They said I am going to be fine. They are going to discharge me in the morning." Shawn knew that she was too proud to point it out, but she didn't have anywhere to go.

"Who's that?" asked Avery looking at Juliet.

"That is detective Juliet O'Hara, my fiancé." Juliet stepped forward and shook Avery's hand.

"Oh. You're having a baby?" She couldn't help but notice. Even though Juliet's belly was so far not extremely large, it was still quite obvious on her tiny frame.

"Yeah, we are" said Shawn. He and Juliet shared a quick smile.

"Well, it's going to be a lucky kid to have you for a dad."

"Uh…thanks," said Shawn. "You really think so? I'm not perfect you know."

"Well, you listened to me when no one else would, you came to help me when I was in danger, and you're still here with me. And I'm not even your kid. Notice that my own father isn't even here, and I'd be willing to bet he hasn't even started packing his things."

These words hit Juliet a little close to home, and Shawn thought he saw tears forming in her eyes.

"Avery, can we excuse ourselves for a minute. I promise we'll be right back."

"Sure," she said.

Shawn took Juliet into the hallway. "You know what we have to do," he said.

"Shawn, what are you talking about?"

"She doesn't have anyone. Her dad is on the other side of the world. Her house is half burnt to the ground. She doesn't have any place to go."

"So you want to take her home with us?" asked Juliet with a sigh. It was a lot of responsibility to take on right now, but Juliet suspected he was right. It was the right thing to do.

"We have to. At least for now, until her dad comes back or we can find a more permanent place for her to stay. She can't be alone right now, and not just because the man who is trying to kill her is still out there. She's just a kid."

"You're right, Shawn. The best place for her right now is with us." They returned to Avery's bedside to tell her their decision.

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"Here we are," said Juliet as she pulled her lime green Beetle into the driveway.

"Home sweet home," said Shawn from the passenger seat. "At least for now." He turned and smiled at Avery who had been riding quietly in the backseat the whole way home from the hospital.

Avery got out of the car and took in the façade of her new temporary home. It was much smaller than her dad's place but warm and welcoming. She really felt like she was going to be safe there. "Really, thanks so much for letting me stay with you," she said as Shawn held open the front door for her and she entered his home. "This is really above and beyond anything I would have expected."

"It's really our pleasure ," said Juliet. "We just want to make sure you are safe and taken care of."

"Thanks."

"Come on, I'll show you to your room."

Avery followed Juliet up the stairs of their three-bedroom home and through the hallway, passing Shawn and Juliet's room, followed by a room that was the beginnings of a nursery – a crib and changing table along one wall, the walls spackled but unpainted, awaiting news of the baby's sex before completion – all the way to the end of the hall to a plain but comfortable-looking guest room.

"It's not much," said Juliet. "But it should do. Also, I picked up a few things for you…just some of the essentials," she said, indicating a basket of toiletries and a stack of clothing that were sitting on the bed. "I know they are probably not your…style, but at least it's something to wear until we can do some real shopping." The thought of a girl's shopping trip actually sounded like fun. It was something that Juliet didn't get to do often. It made her wonder if she might be having girl's days out with her own daughter someday. Or, maybe instead, Shawn would be taking their son to a Seabirds game. Either scenario made her excited for their future.

"It's perfect," said Avery, grateful for the hospitality.

"Um…so I'll let you get settled. The bathroom is across the hall, and I'll just be downstairs if you need anything. Lunch will be ready in about an hour."

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Shawn circled what was left of Avery's father's home, trying to find some clue…anything…that could lead him in the right direction towards finding out who it was that tried to kill Avery. He was regretting not coming back to the scene earlier, before forensics had had a chance to trample all over it. At the very least, he now he had a vague description of the killer. He saw the guy with his own eyes…at least some of him. He was a large man, muscular, short light-colored hair…but that was all that even Shawn's extraordinary sense of sight was able to make out in the dark.

Another thing that was rubbing Shawn the wrong way was that last night's fire had been reported as accidental, but Avery insisted the mysterious man had started the fire even though she couldn't say how. Despite Avery's reputation for bending the truth, Shawn believed her, and this combined with the fact that he had seen a potential suspect with his own eyes, made him believe that it _had _to be arson.

Shawn approached the bush where he was sure he saw the potential "arsonurderer" hiding and carefully inspected the ground below it. From his years of Henry Spencer's detectiving classes, he knew that footprints were often some of the most informative evidence and he was an expert in all types of popular footwear. The dirt below the bush had been packed down in several places making it unmistakable that someone or something had been standing behind the bush recently, but no specific print marks could be made out. However, he was able to follow a trail of dirt leading from behind the bush to a spot on the southwest corner of the house, which was now completely charred and black, and back to the bush again.

"Gus!" Shawn yelled for his partner who was busy investigating what was left of the inside of the house. Gus emerged from the front door and turned the corner to where Shawn was staring into the ashes in the burnt corner of the house. Gus was pouring a bag of cheddar and sour cream potato chips down his throat. "Really?" said Shawn.

"What?" said Gus, "The kitchen was still intact and I was hungry."

"No, Gus. You know the rules about the food of the dead. 50/50. You've clearly eaten 80 of that bag, leaving only 40 for me."

"Shawn, first of all, there's no one dead here. Secondly, 20% of the bag was already eaten when I found it, and third, 80 and 40 do not add up to 100."

"Why would that matter?" said Shawn.

"You're insufferable!" said Gus in desperation.

"You're right, Gus, I'm not suffering of anything, except maybe a lack of 40% of a bag of potato chips. Give me that!" Shawn tore the bag from Gus's hands and started munching on what was left of the chips. Through his stuffed mouth, he told Gus about the trail of dirt leading between the bush and corner of the house. "Sumfing haffened here!"

"What?"

Shawn swallowed. "I said something happened here. Do you see anything?"

Gus looked carefully around the area. "No…but I _smell _something. Gus whipped out his supersniffer, surveying the area with his nose in the air like a scent dog. He narrowed in on a pile of partially burned wood that looked like it had once been a window shutter. He kicked the shutter aside with his foot to reveal a small rectangular can.

"Butt-ane," said Shawn reading the half singed label.

"Bu-tane" corrected Gus.

"I've heard it both ways," said Shawn. "How did arson miss that?"

"I don't know. Looks like some very poor detective work on their part," said Gus.

Shawn whipped out his iPhone and started dialing.

"Who are you calling?" asked Gus.

Shawn didn't answer, but only a few seconds later shouted "Heeeyyy Lassie!" into his phone. "Long time, no speak. You missed me didn't you…Don't lie, you did. Hey, uh, while I have you on the line, I was just wondering if you can tell me anything about the investigation into last night's fire…" He listened for an answer. "…Oooh, I don't know, like why it wasn't ruled an arson…I see…_really?... _Well, thanks for the info Lassie-face. Gotta go. Bye."

"What did he say?" implored Gus.

"Apparently, there's been a disagreement down at the station between Detective Crofton and the arson investigators. The arson investigators claimed that their initial observations pointed to arson, but that Crofton didn't allow them to properly complete the investigation. He claimed that he found it quite obvious that the fire had started by an accident with a cigarette in the living room. Lassiter said he saw this place himself and though there was a pack of cigarettes in the living room, Avery claimed during questioning last night that she wasn't smoking. Crofton said he didn't believe her, but I think Lassie does."

"Uh…I know Avery is not always truthful…but the fire clearly started down here," said Gus, "which is not even remotely close to the living room."

"Exactly, Gus, there is something very trouty going on here."

"I think you mean fishy," said Gus.

"No…I mean _Trout_-y. And that girl better not have been smoking or she's going to be grounded!"


	8. Chapter 8

Juliet peeked into the guest room to check on Avery – she had been rather quiet ever since arriving that morning – and was mildly surprised to see that Avery wasn't there. She found her down the hall in the nursery. Avery was looking around curiously and then focused her attention on some framed photographs sitting on the dresser. One was a picture of Shawn and Juliet from around the time they started dating – they looked so happy, another was one of Juliet's most recent sonograms, and the third was an old picture of an 8-year-old Juliet with her mom. Avery's hand reached for the third picture, but she was startled by the sound of Juliet's voice calling her name. She nearly knocked over the picture frame.

"Avery?" said Juliet, standing in the doorway.

"Oh…uh, I'm sorry Detective O'Hara. I was just looking."

"It's ok. You're welcome to look. And please, call me Juliet."

"Juliet…Is this your mom?" Avery asked shyly.

"Yeah. It's one of my favorite pictures of the two of us. Hers too. She has the same one on her mantle at home."

"She's pretty," said Avery.

"Thanks," said Juliet, coming further into the room to look at the picture again for probably the 20,000th time. It didn't matter how many times she looked at it, it always made her smile.

"So are you excited?" asked Avery looking around the half-finished room. "About being a mom, I mean?"

"More than I ever thought was possible," answered Juliet with a smile that penetrated through her very being.

"Is your mom excited about being a grandma?"

"Well, she's already a grandma. I have five nephews. But I'm her only daughter, so I guess she's excited about her only daughter having a baby."

"It's nice that you still have your mom around…to experience this with you."

Juliet saw some pain behind Avery's eyes. "You miss your mom."

Avery nodded.

Juliet continued cautiously, "Do you mind if I ask what happened to her?"

"No. It's ok. She…uh…she died about a year ago. Breast cancer." Avery turned back towards the photographs, pretending to look at them to hide her teary eyes. "That's when I came to live with my dad. Until then, it was always just me and her." A tear escaped her eye and trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away with the sleeve of sweatshirt. Juliet put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Tell me about your dad," said Juliet.

"There's not much to tell," said Avery. "I feel like I hardly know him. He wasn't around very much…he still isn't. To be honest, I have no idea why he even took me in. It seems like he forgets that I'm there most of the time. I think he probably only lets me live with him out of obligation, like when I was little and he would come to my dance recital but then end up on his cell phone in the hallway the whole time…or, when he would tell me that he was going to take me to the zoo and then and he just wouldn't show…it was always the same excuse…something more important came up. Why was I never more important?"

Juliet found herself tearing up during Avery's description, possibly due to hormones, but more likely due to the fact that it sounded all too familiar. Avery noticed.

"You know what it feels like," Avery said.

"You're very perceptive," said Juliet.

"My mom always said I was good at reading people. It's a gift."

"I know it hurts," said Juliet. "I never want my child to have to feel like that."

"You don't have to worry about that," said Avery, confidently.

"How do you know?"

"Shawn loves you, and he loves that baby. He doesn't want to miss anything. I can tell by the way he looks at you. I'm good a reading people, remember."

Juliet finally understood the reason for the tough exterior that Avery put up on a day-to-day basis. On the inside she was just a little girl with a big heart that had been broken one too many times…who had been through way more than a 17-year-old should and was unfairly left with no one to care for her. She also saw a younger version of herself in Avery (minus the nose ring and pink hair) and desperately wanted to tell that little girl that everything was going to be ok.

She held Avery by the arms and looked her square in the eyes. "Avery, I just want you to know that you are not alone. You are never alone. You hear me!"

Avery's tears started to fall rapidly and were accompanied by a tiny sob. Juliet pulled her into a hug that comforted herself as much as it did Avery.

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"Just think, Jules, this time tomorrow we will know what color to paint the nursery. We'll know whether we need to buy our kid a _My Buddy_ or _Kid Sister_. And most importantly, I'll know whether I should buy the onesie that says 'My heart belongs to John Stamos' or 'I live and breathe for Brooke Shields.'"

"I don't think they make those dolls anymore, Shawn," Juliet laughed.

"There's always Ebay!"

"Yes. That's very true."

Juliet lay on the couch, her feet propped up on a pillow and her head on Shawn's lap. Shawn was flipping through the channels trying to find some reruns of any of his favorite 80's sitcoms, while Juliet was mesmerized with watching her baby moving underneath the tight skin on her growing belly. "This is just unreal!" she said. Shawn turned his attention from the TV to Juliet's abdomen. "There's really a little person in there," she continued. "Even though the baby is right here, we still don't even really know who it is. We don't even know if it's a boy or girl…but somehow I already love this little person more than I could have ever imagined." Juliet tilted her head back so she could look Shawn in the eye. "Do you realize, tomorrow is going to be like the first day of getting to know our child? I mean...the first time I felt the baby move was the moment when this all started to become real…like it was really happening and not just going to happen, but even then it was still hard to grasp that there was _someone_ in there. Tomorrow, we'll know something about _who _it is."

Shawn leaned over and kissed Juliet on the forehead and put his still bandaged palm firmly on her stomach, trying to feel what she was feeling. Then he formed a fist and tapped her belly softly with it while making a knocking sound with his mouth. "Hey little one in there," he said "It's daddy. Just so you know, your mommy and I are going to have a doctor look at your private parts tomorrow. But don't worry. We are just trying to figure out whether we need to get you some He-man or She-ra bedsheets. In the meantime, maybe you can help us out with some other things we'd like to know about you. First, who do think is sweeter, The Talking Heads or Depeche Mode? Secondly, if you were stuck on a deserted island with the person of your choice and you could bring along one board game, which one would you choose? Personally, I'd go for Hungry Hungry Hippos. Finally, and most importantly, Red Vines or Twizzlers? Keep in mind, there is a right and wrong answer to that last one. Shawn waited a few moments as if listening for an answer. "You don't have to answer now…it's just something to start thinking about. I will want to hear those answers before your fifth birthday though, so don't put it off for too long."

Juliet giggled throughout the entirety of Shawn's monologue. His goofy sense of humor was one of the things she loved most about him. She sat up and scooted herself onto his lap. Then lifted both arms up and over his head and kissed him on the lips. They shared a few passionate kisses and then Juliet turned back around leaning on him and placing her head on his shoulder. She felt perfectly content sitting there in his arms. Shawn wondered how he had been so lucky to get a girl as perfect as Juliet. Even at five months pregnant she managed to be irresistibly sexy. "Only she could pull that off," he thought.

"Oh. Speaking of tomorrow," said Shawn. "Would it be alright if I borrow your car in the morning? Avery needs a ride to school. I can take you to work and then pick you up at the station when it is time to go to the ultrasound."

"Yeah, sure. That would be fine."

"Thanks, sweetie."

"No problem. But, you know…it may be time to start thinking about trading in your two wheels for four."

Shawn cringed. "I was afraid you were going to say that."


	9. Chapter 9

It was Tuesday morning, but it felt more like a Monday, at least to Juliet. Shawn never really had a grasp on what day of the week it was. Juliet stayed home the day before with Avery to help her get settled and recover from the scary events of the last few days. Now it was time for her to return to work and for Avery to return to school. Life had to go on.

Juliet's Beetle, driven by Shawn, pulled up to the SBPD headquarters. Juliet kissed Shawn and reminded him of her excitement for their ultrasound – in only a few hours they would know whether they were expecting a baby boy or girl!

"10:45, remember. The appointment is at 11:00. I don't want to be late."

"Don't worry Jules. I'm so excited, I'll probably be here by 10:30! See ya later Doodlepumpkin!"

Juliet got out of the passenger door and at the same time Avery got out from the backseat so that she could replace Juliet's position in the front.

"Pssst!," said Shawn trying to get Juliet's attention while Avery was out of the car and out of earshot. Juliet leaned into the passenger window to listen to what he had to say. "Remember to keep an eye on Trout and the others for any suspicious behavior," and then with extra worry in his voice. "I don't like this." He sighed. He meant that he didn't like the idea of Juliet working just paces away from a potential arsonurder, and Juliet knew that.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'll see you in a little bit."

Juliet opened the door and allowed Avery to sit in the front seat. "Have a good day at school, Avery."

"Bye, Juliet," said Avery. Shawn watched uneasily as Juliet hobbled up the steps into the station and when she was out of sight he put the car in gear and headed towards Avery's school.

"Sooo, what did you find out about the fire yesterday?" asked Avery as the Beetle turned onto Main St. Shawn hesitated. He was hoping she wouldn't ask. He didn't want to tell her that he suspected the Chief of Police of covering up an arson, and maybe even setting fire, to her own house. He didn't want to believe it himself but he couldn't deny that the man he saw slinking behind the bushes that night fit the description of Trout. Even if it was a vague enough description to have been almost any muscular, blonde-haired man, something about it just made him feel like his suspicions were correct, and somehow he felt like it shouldn't be something that he should share with Avery. He didn't want her to be scared. She had been through enough already. He had to tell her something, though, to put her mind at ease and let her know the he was on her side.

"Well, Avery, I believe you that it wasn't an accident, but it's still hard to say who might have done it. I'm doing my best to find out though." It occurred to him that if Trout was the creepy man at her house the other night, then he was probably the same creepy man that she saw at the marina two months earlier. She seemed to believe that it was the same man, anyway. The evidence was screaming to Shawn that Trout was up to something no good and he was willing to bet that it something to do with those mysterious phone calls to his mother, or whoever it was that he was calling, which also meant that Wallace and Crofton were in on it too. He was thanking God that Juliet was on desk duty now and not working in the field with these guys. He made a mental note to go back to the marina and try to determine what they might have been up to that night, but doubted that he would be able to find evidence of something that happened two months ago. He looked to his right to see Avery looking at him impatiently with her arms crossed.

"What?" he asked.

"Come on son!" said Avery imitating Shawn and Gus. "I'm not stupid. I know you have some idea who the creepy guy is and you're not telling me."

"Wow, Jules wasn't lying when she said you were perceptive. Look, Avery, I think it's just safer for you if you didn't know."

"But you have to tell me! I hired you on this case and if you don't tell me…I'll fire you!" said Avery getting upset.

"Ha! You know that threat only works for people who are paying me, and seeing as you are a teenager without a job and staying in my house and eating my food, then technically I am paying you. Well, technically Jules is paying you mostly…"

"Who says I wasn't going to pay you?!," argued Avery, "My dad is rich, remember, I can pay you your full rate and reimburse you for any costs I accumulate while staying with you."

"You are not going to pay me."

"Am, too!"

"Are not!"

"Am, too!"

"You are not paying me and that's final!"

"That's not f-ing fair! I'll investigate on my own then!" said Avery in full teenage rebellion.

"Hey! Just for that language, missy, you are grounded! Try investigating now!" Shawn was unaware of how father-y he was starting to sound.

"You can't ground me! I'm not even your kid!"

"You think so? Well, guess what? As long as you are living under my roof, I make the rules, which means you are grounded! So there!...Holy shit! What is happening to me?"

"Now, who's using the bad language?"

Just as those words exited Avery's mouth, Shawn saw a black SUV pull out in front of him. He stepped on the brake and turned the wheel as far as he could to the right. The Beetle made a full circle and stopped halfway on the sidewalk, knocking over a parking meter.

"Are you ok?" said Shawn after he overcame the initial shock.

"Fine," said Avery who was still clutching onto the passenger door with her right hand and the center console with her left. Just then, Shawn saw a black-gloved hand reach in through the open passenger's side window and cover Avery's mouth. Before he could say or do anything, though, he felt something hit him on the back of the head and his vision went black.

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Juliet looked at the clock. It was 10:50. Shawn was five minutes late. At this point they were barely going to make it to the ultrasound on time. She waited a few more minutes and then pulled out her cell phone and selected Shawn's speed dial. She waited again as it rang five times and then went to voicemail. "Shawn, it's almost 11:00. Where are you?," she spoke into the phone. "We are going to be late. Either get here, or call me back ASAP!" She waited a few more minutes staring at the phone and willing it to ring. When it didn't, she picked it up texted an even angrier message. The clock struck 11:00. She and Shawn should already be sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office, but she was still here sitting at her desk at the station waiting for him to pick her up.

Remembering that Trout didn't want Shawn inside the station anymore, she thought he might be waiting outside. Maybe he left his phone somewhere again and that's why he wasn't answering. She got up and peeked outside, but Shawn, nor her green Beetle were nowhere to be seen, so she went back to her desk.

From across the station, Lassiter noticed Juliet tapping her pencil on the desk anxiously and, first looking to make sure that Crofton, Wallace, or Trout were not watching him, went to see what was agitating her.

"O'Hara, what's wrong?" he said, approaching her desk and pulling up a chair beside her.

"Oh. Shawn's late picking me up for our ultrasound. If we miss this, I am going to kill him!"

"Please do," said Lassiter. These kind of statements directed towards Spencer were almost instinctual by now. Still Juliet was noticeably annoyed by it.

"Hey," defended Lassiter. "I'm just saying, I would never do this to Marlowe if it were the two of us waiting to find out the sex of our baby."

Juliet's eyes widened in interest. "Wait! Carlton, are you saying that you and Marlowe are…"

"No. No. I'm not saying that. It's just hypothetical. I still haven't knocked her up yet."

"A word of advice, Carlton, women don't like it when you say 'knocked up'"

"Yeah. Yeah," said Lassiter as his head began turning in all directions, looking around the station.

"What are you doing, Carlton?" asked Juliet.

"Uh. Don't you think it's a little weird that Trout hasn't interrupted us yet?"

"Uh…yeah…," she agreed. "Where is he, anyway?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen him in a while. For that matter, I haven't seen Crofton, either…or Wallace…" He stood up and continued to look about the station for signs of any of them, but they were nowhere to be found.

Juliet's anger over Shawn's lateness was starting to turn into worry. "How long have they been gone? Didn't you see them leave? I thought you were supposed to be keeping an eye on them!"

"You were too, O'Hara."

"But you know you have a better view of them from your desk…and I've been too anxious today to worry about any of that…Oh my God! Where is Shawn?" By this time Juliet was on her feet, pacing and looking around the station.

"O'Hara, calm down. Just call him and find out where he is."

"I did! He's not answering!"

Even Lassiter was now getting noticeably nervous. He grabbed Juliet's arms to keep her from pacing and to try to calm her. "Ok. I'll call Henry. You call Gus. We'll see if either of them have seen or heard from him today." The both dialed the respective numbers and spoke to the men on the other line.

"So?" questioned Juliet, as Lassiter hung up his phone.

"Henry hasn't seen him."

"Neither has Gus."

Juliet pulled out her phone again and started dialing.

"Who are you calling now?" asked Lassiter.

"Avery's school. Shawn drove her to school this morning." While she was on phone, Lassiter began asking others around the station about the last time they saw Trout, Wallace, or Crofton. No one could recall seeing any of them since early that morning. He stood in front of Juliet as she finished her phone call. All of the color had drained out of her face. "Avery never made it to school today."


	10. Chapter 10

Lassiter dropped Juliet off in front of the Vick's home and then went to round up Henry, Gus, and McNab. If they were going to rescue Shawn and Avery, they were going to need all of the help they could get.

Juliet rang the former chief's doorbell, and moments later the door seemed to open of its own accord. "Hi Dective Hara!" said a voice coming from below her. Juliet was greeted by a little girl wearing a pink tutu over her jeans and holding a glittery wand with a star on the end.

"Hi Iris, is your mommy home?"

Juliet stepped across the threshold as Iris skipped to the kitchen, her sandy curls bouncing the whole way. "Mommy! Dective Hara is here! And guess what? I think she has a baby on her belly!"

Karen Vick turned the corner into the living room wearing a flowery apron and pink oven mitts. Anyone who saw her now would never have guessed that she was very recently the Chief of Police. "Iris, what did I tell you about answering the door?" she said. "O'Hara! You look great!" This was the first time that Karen had seen Juliet since the Fourth of July barbecue. "I have to admit when I said my door was always open, I meant my office door. But this is fine too. How is everything? How are you feeling?" Juliet didn't answer but Karen noticed the fear in her face and the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Juliet, what's wrong?"

"Shawn's missing."

"Iris, go play upstairs please."

"But mommy, I want to stay with Dective Hara."

"Go. Now."

Iris's head dropped sadly, but she obediently started up the stairs. Karen led Juliet to the couch and directed her to relay everything. Juliet recounted the whole story to Karen, starting with the mysterious phone calls, the uncomfortable new dynamic at the station, Avery and all of her accidents, the fire, and finally the disappearance of Shawn and Avery that morning. "They took him," she said finally. "Lassiter is picking up Gus and McNab and meeting at Henry's. He wants us to meet him there ASAP to start the search."

Karen stood up, removed her apron, and retrieved her gun and holster from its safe spot hidden behind a painting above the mantle. "Ok. I am going, but you have to stay here."

"Chief, No! I'm coming too." Karen didn't even bother to remind her that she wasn't the chief anymore.

"O'Hara, No! You're in no condition to be chasing down dangerous criminals."

"But…"

"N-O! We can't put your baby at risk. Besides, I need someone to keep an eye on Iris."

Juliet knew there was no more arguing with her, and reluctantly gave in.

"Keep you phone on," said Karen. "I'll keep you posted." She started out the door and then stopped and poked her head back in. "Oh, and can you take the pie out of oven in 20 minutes? Thanks."

Juliet frowned as the chief closed the front door behind her.

(16Pineapple16)

Shawn's eyes blinked open and he was blinded by a rusty metal ceiling light hanging above him. He ached all over and his head was pounding. As his vision and head cleared he realized he was sitting on a concrete floor and leaning against a rubbermaid container. He tried to shift his weight to relieve an ache in his lower back, but found his motion was restricted. His feet were tied together and his hands were tied behind his back, the ropes digging into the partially healed burns from the fire the other night. His mouth was taped shut.

Suddenly Shawn remembered the last thing he saw before his vision went black; a gloved hand reaching through the car window and grabbing Avery. 'Avery? Where was she?' He frantically looked around the concrete storage room and saw her similarly tied up on the opposite wall, her eyes closed and head down.

"HmmMmm!" yelled Shawn, attempting to get her attention through his taped mouth. Avery immediately looked up and opened her eyes. Apparently she had only been attempting to sleep. Shawn sighed a sigh of relief.

Avery mumbled something through her own taped mouth, that Shawn thought sounded either like "Shawn, you're awake," or "I shouldn't have eaten that cake". It was clear that they were going to have a hard time communicating in their current state. They only thing they could do was read each other's eyes. There was some fear in Avery's eyes, but not as much as there was exhaustion and discomfort. They had clearly been sitting this way for quite some time. Shawn tried to communicate through his eyes for her to remain calm and to let him know that whatever happened, they were in this together.

After a length of time – it could have been an hour or ten minutes, it was hard to tell – Shawn heard voices on the other side of the metal garage door enclosing the room they were in. It sounded like three men. One of the voices he recognized as Harris Trout and he could also make out the nasally whine of Warren Wallace. He guessed that the third deep voice was Crofton, and realized that he had never actually met the man. Luckily for him, and unbeknownst to them, he had excellent hearing and could just make out every word. Avery, who was on the opposite side of the room from the door didn't seem to be able to hear anything.

"Swaggs says we need to get rid of them. As long as they are here, they are a liability."

"Don't you think I know that?! We can't go about this all willy-nilly though. That's how we got in this predicament in the first place."

"I say we shoot them right here. Get it over with."

"We can't just do that? That leaves the evidence right here for the cops to find it. Blood doesn't come out of concrete, you know. No, we need to take them somewhere…somewhere remote, where no one will ever find them."

"…or in the spirit of Swaggs and this whole damn thing, try to pin it on someone else. Call it a murder- suicide, even. It doesn't matter what we do, with you and Swaggs in your current positions, you can get away with anything we want."

"That's only if we don't raise too many suspicions and get the Fed's attention. Unfortunately, Preggo and Mr. Bean are on to us. They are better detectives than I anticipated. If we do anything too obvious, they'll blow the whistle."

"Uh…isn't kidnapping the psychic and the girl already pretty obvious!"

"Yeah, but that couldn't be avoided. The psychic knows too much and the girl can place me at one of the scenes."

"Whose fault is that? If you hadn't pulled your gun on her she probably wouldn't have even remembered seeing you. Oh, wait! And if you hadn't managed to fail, was it two? Three? No, five times at eliminating her, she never would have gotten the psychic involved in the first place. Seriously, how hard is it to off a 10-year-old?"

"She's 17."

"Same difference."

"Besides, you're one to talk! You're the one who botched the _El Chotacabra _bust!"

"Ok. Enough! Listen, clearly the only way out of this is to make them literally disappear. No traces left behind. So, remote location it is. We'll need to have a plan hatched out in a few hours and run it by Swaggs."

Shawn heard three sets of footsteps moving away from the door. He was glad that Avery hadn't heard any of that, but also worried about what this plan was going to be. Who was Swaggs? Shawn fidgeted, testing the strength of the ropes that bound his hands and feet. His bonds were rock solid. He was never going to be able to break free, especially with the burns on his wrists searing with pain with each attempt to pull them free. How was he going to get himself and Avery out of this one?

Another long amount of time passed. Shawn was starving and really had to pee. He hoped someone would come by and take him to a bathroom and a Red Robin sometime soon. He peered over at Avery who appeared to be sleeping…at least he hoped so. He didn't want to wake her if she was. Maybe, at least in her dreams, she was happy and comfortable.

As he shifted into a more comfortable position, Shawn thought of Juliet out there wondering where he was and worried sick. Was she mad at him for missing the ultrasound? "O God! The ultrasound. The baby," he thought. "I promised Jules that I would be there for every moment…that she would never have to do this alone!" He wondered if she even knew yet that he was in danger. Surely, she would realize something was wrong soon, if she hadn't already. She would have everyone looking for him.

Just then, Shawn heard footsteps approaching the storage room. Someone fiddled with the lock on the door. This was it. Now was the time to start putting his plan into action.

(17Pineapple17)

"Ok. So here's what McNab and I found out," started Lassiter. Henry was sitting on his living room couch with his head in his hands, Karen next to him with a worried look on her face. Gus was pacing behind them, and McNab stood next to Lassiter. They all listened as he continued. "The phone number belonging to this so-called MOM, was traced to an elderly woman in Encino by the name of Miriam Groff. McNab and I went to question the lady, but she obviously was not the true owner of the cell phone, considering she still seems to be living in the 1950s. The only phone she owns is an old rotary. We believe that this MOM must have used her personal information to buy the phone and hide his or her true identity. So, we still aren't any closer to figuring out who MOM is."

"Also…," McNab added, looking towards Lassiter as if asking permission to speak. "I've been trailing Trout, and looking into the backgrounds of Crofton and Wallace. And…well some things are a little fishy."

"How so?" asked Henry.

"For one thing, Trout's behavior. I followed him twice to this store house near the marina. I suppose he might just be keeping some personal things there, but…I don't know…the place just seems too sketchy. I mean…why not use a nicer storage place closer to town?" Everyone seemed to nod in agreement and McNab continued, becoming more confident with his observations. "Secondly, Wallace supposedly graduated from the academy in Carson City in '05. Well it just so happens my buddy Clark went to the academy in Carson City around the same time, but he has no recollection of anyone named Wallace."

"I checked in with the current department head in Carson City," Lassiter chimed in. "He doesn't have a record of Wallace, but says it's possible it could have been lost when their station caught fire in '06. Why they haven't kept electronic records is beyond me!"

"Seriously, what century is it?!" added Gus.

"Unfortunately, I haven't had the authority to do the proper digging to find out if Wallace is legit. And so far, Crofton's credentials appear to check out. So essentially, we left with very little to go on."

"Well, what _do _we know?!" asked Gus, getting impatient. Every second they stood here talking, was one more second that his best friend was in serious danger.

"Well," said Karen, "We know that Shawn and Avery disappeared sometime after dropping off Juliet at work and before they would have arrived at Avery's school. At least that gives us a small window of time to work with."

Henry perked up a bit and continued Karen's line of reasoning. "So if we follow Shawn's route we might find a clue as to what happened to him."

"It's a long shot, but I think it's probably our best bet right now," said Karen.

"Then, let's go!" said Gus, already heading towards the door.

"Alright, said Karen, "Henry and Gus, come with me. McNab and Lassiter, see if you can get a trace on Shawn's or Avery's cell phones. I know it will be difficult without the proper authorization, but see what you can do. Then let us know what you found. After that, we'll check into the storage place that Trout's been visiting."

(18Pineapple18)

Karen Vick turned onto Main St. coming from the direction of the SBPD to Roosevelt High School. She glanced at Henry in the passenger seat, whose face was as white as a ghost. "Don't worry," she said. "We'll find him. Plus, we all know how good he is at talking himself out of dangerous situations. I have a feeling he'll be alright." Henry gave a half smile, and for once was thankful for his son's gift of gab. Gus, in the backseat, swallowed hard. Even Vick's encouraging words weren't enough to clear the lump from his throat.

"Stop the car!" shouted Henry, suddenly.

"What is it?" said Karen as she pressed her foot to the brake.

Henry didn't answer, but immediately burst out of the car and towards the sidewalk. Gus and Karen followed after him. Henry stopped next to an empty, grassy lot. At his feet lay a parking meter that had been pulled completely out of the ground, its pole nearly bent in half. Without sharing his mental process, Henry looked around the area, noting a pair of skid marks curving into a full circle and ending at the parking meter. He squatted to get a closer look at the dented meter and noticed lime green paint that had rubbed off of whatever knocked it over. "This was them," he said. "Shawn swerved and hit this parking meter."

"Then where is the car now?," asked Gus, "…and why wasn't the accident reported?"

Gus's questions went unanswered as Henry and Karen combed the scene.

"There's a second set of skid marks further up here at the intersection," said Karen as she jogged closer to them and the other's followed. "These ones are different…from a larger vehicle."

"Yeah," agreed Henry, "From the looks of it, an SUV." He took a closer look at the tread marks. "If I had to guess, I'd have to say…an XTerra."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Karen.

"Reasonably. Do you know anyone who drives an XTerra?"

Gus and Karen shook their heads and shrugged.

"Why do they swerve _this_ way?" he said, his gaze following the curve of the skid marks which turned, full circle, towards the direction of the toppled parking meter. "Why would the SUV make a 180 pivot like that? That doesn't make any sense…unless the driver meant to corner Shawn…"

Karen's phone rang and she answered, "Yeah, Lassiter what have you got."

_"I managed to convince Dobson to do an unauthorized cell phone track," _said Lassiter through the phone._ No calls have been made from Shawn's or Avery's phones since yesterday, but Juliet's calls and texts to Shawn earlier bounced off of the tower closest to Mariposa and Main, which means that his phone is likely to be somewhere in that general vicinity..."_

Henry couldn't stand still while Karen was speaking and began wandering around the empty lot for any indication of Shawn or Avery. Gus was pacing and trying not to throw up. Then as clear as day, they heard music coming from a nearby shrub.

"_Don't you…forget about me…Don't don't don't don't…,"_ it sang.

Henry knew that song from one of Shawn's favorite movies. He frantically searched through the bushes and just as the music stopped he held Shawn's cell phone in his hand. The phone indicated a missed call from Juliet. "She must still be attempting to get a hold of him," thought Henry. He and Gus shared a look of both excitement and worry and ran towards Karen.

_"It will be impossible to trace it to more exact location unless we call it and someone answers..." _continued Lassiter.

"Uh…that won't be a problem," said Karen looking at Henry who was showing her the phone. "We just found it."

_"Wha?! Where are you?"_

"The corner of Main and South. Look Lassiter, here's what I think happened." Gus and Henry listened as Karen filled in Lassiter. "On his way to Avery's school, Shawn was crossing South on Main St. and swerved to miss a vehicle, most likely an SUV, that pulled out in front of him. I highly doubt this was accident though. I think whoever was in the SUV abducted both Shawn and Avery and took O'Hara's car. They must have dumped the cell phones so they wouldn't be tracked."

_"Ok, so great. We know what happened, but that was hours ago." _said Lassiter._ "They could be anywhere by now."_

"Yeah," said Karen in agreement and exasperation. "Lassiter, by any chance does Trout, Wallace, or Crofton drive an SUV, perhaps an XTerra?"

_"Yeah, Trout does!"_

"That's it then. It's gotta be him," said Karen. "We find Trout, we find Shawn. Look, Lassiter. You need to put a BOLO out on both Trout's and O'Hara's vehicles. Don't worry about getting the proper authorization because obviously those authorized to give it to you are corrupt. But first, you need to report this to Internal Affairs…or better yet…the mayor himself."

_"I'm on it, Chief." _Once again, she didn't bother to remind Lassiter that she was no longer the chief.


	11. Chapter 11

Juliet sat on the Vick's living room couch, crayons and paper sprawled all over the coffee table and 7-year-old Iris kneeling in front of it putting the finishing touches on her drawing. Juliet anxiously checked her phone messages for the 80th time. Gus had called her earlier to tell her that they found Shawn's phone and evidence of a car accident. They were certain that Trout and his partners-in-crime had taken him and Avery and that they were still trying to discover where. But that had been almost an hour ago. She needed to know what was happening out there. It was killing her that she couldn't be out there searching for her fiancé with everyone else. In fact, if Iris wasn't here, she was sure she would have gone investigating on her own against Karen's words. But then she figured her former chief probably knew that, and that was why she didn't call her husband home from work.

"Look, Juliet!" said Iris proudly, holding up her finished masterpiece. Juliet had instructed Iris to call her by her first name because she figured it was easier for the little girl to pronounce.

"That's beautiful, Iris," said Juliet. She might have been more enthusiastic about it if she wasn't so worried at the moment. "Is that your family?"

"Yup!," said Iris. "This is my daddy, and this is my mommy, this is me – I'm a beautiful princess, this is my kitty Mr. Wiggles, and this is the castle we are going to live in after we move to Disneyland."

Despite her anxiety, Juliet couldn't help but giggle. Only a moment later, the doorbell rang. Iris popped up, ready to answer it, but Juliet told her to stay put and cautiously approached the door and peered through the peephole. She was relieved to see a familiar face, though not any of the faces she expected. She opened the door.

"Rachael? What are you doing here?"

Maximus was standing next to her. "I know it's probably weird," said Rachael, "but Gus called me and said you were here by yourself and you were worried and suggested I come to keep you company."

"Oh. Well, that was very thoughtful of him," Juliet said surprised. "I could definitely use the company. Come in. Please!"

Rachael and Max walked in and Iris lit up. "Max!" she said. Juliet remembered that the two 7-year-olds had met at her barbecue and that they really hit it off. The kids immediately took off up the stairs, Iris promising to show Max all of her favorite toys. Juliet and Rachael took a seat on the couch.

"So, how are you doing?" said Rachael concernedly.

"I'm…I'm really scared," said Juliet. Tears started forming in her eyes. Tears that she just now realized she had been holding in for the past few hours for the benefit of Iris.

"Hey, everything is going to be ok," said Rachael giving Juliet a comforting pat on her arm. Juliet appreciated Rachael's attempt to be supportive, but she knew that Rachael couldn't possibly know whether everything was going to be ok.

"What if…what if it's not?" Juliet said between tiny sobs. "What if they don't find him? What if he is already…" she couldn't bring herself to say the word. "…or Avery. She's just a kid. She doesn't deserve this."

"Juliet, don't you even think that. They are going to find them."

Juliet continued as if she hadn't heard Rachael. "He said he would be here. He promised he would protect me and that I wouldn't ever be alone, but how can that happen if they take him away from me? I can't…I can't do this on my own. I just…can't!"

Rachael realized that there was nothing she could say to take away Juliet's pain. She knew what it was like to be a single mom, but she couldn't imagine what it would feel like to lose her child's father and love of her life in such an awful way. She only hoped that this situation wouldn't work out for the worst. So she simply sat there with her hand rubbing Juliet's back and allowed her to cry.

(19Pineapple19)

The storage room door opened and Dave Crofton and Warren Wallace entered. Immediately Shawn shouted frantically through his duct tape while making a motion like a toddler indicating he had to use the potty. Wallace ripped the tape from Shawn's mouth.

"Aaaahhh!" Shawn screamed like a little girl, which woke Avery with a start.

"What?!" exclaimed Wallace.

"You know, it's rude to hold people hostage and not allow them the common courtesy of a bathroom break!"

"Are you serious?" said Crofton.

"Hells yeah! I'm serious! Please take me to a bathroom. You really don't want me to have an accident on this floor do you?"

"Uh…no, I don't think that would be good Dave," said Wallace.

"Shut up, Wallace! Well it turns out, today's your lucky day, mystic."

"I think you mean, _'psychic'_," said Shawn.

"Shut it! We are moving you two someplace else where there just happens to be a bathroom, and if you cooperate, we may just let you use it."

"Sweet! Ooo! Can we stop at Arby's on the way?! I've got a hankering for some roast beef."

"You do realize we are gonna kill, you right?" piped it Wallace.

"Oh, good point WaWa…let's see…last meal…I've gonna have to go with P.F. Chang's."

"Seriously, what is wrong with you?" said Crofton shaking his head, while pulling Shawn up onto his feet and untying them just enough so that he could walk to the car. Wallace was doing the same with Avery.

"You're right, Dave. What was I thinking?! P.F. Chang's? Pshaw! We might as well go all out. How about the Cracker Barrel?"

"Grrr!," growled Crofton in annoyance while he pushed Shawn out of the storage room and into the back of a van. He put the piece of tape back on his mouth. Avery was pushed into the van behind him. She looked at Shawn, eyes wide with terror and Shawn winked at her to let her know that all would be alright. In his mind, though, he wasn't so sure. The two men got into the front of the van and pulled away.

As the vehicle was moving along, Shawn chuckled, having realized the tape on his mouth was no longer sticky enough to hold. With some spitting and movements of his jaw he was able to release it completely. "So, uh, Dave," he spoke up loud enough for the man in the driver's seat to hear. "You taking us to see Swaggs?"

"What?!" said Crofton, surprised. "I mean…who?"

"You know! The big man. The head honcho. The M-O-M?"

"How did you…?!" said Wallace. Crofton glared at his partner.

"Psychic, remember! Speaking of which, the spirits are still a little unsure of what the M-O-M stands for, can you help us out. What is it? Uh…Mission On Mars?...No…No…Micky…Octavius…Mouse?... Uh…Marty Ollivander McFly?!...OOH! _Mayor _Of Mayhem!"

"Who have you been talking to?!" growled Crofton.

"Duh! I just told you! The _spirits_! … Oh wait? Is that right? _Mayor of Mayhem_? Really? It sounds like a bad comic book."

"Actually, no" said Wallace.

"No?" said Shawn, faux sadly. "Well, the spirits are on the right track, right? I mean…come on…_mayor…Swaggs. _Mayor Swaggerty, right?"

Crofton huffed. "Ok. Enough of your jabbering!" He glared at Wallace who immediately cut off what he was going to say in response. The van came to a stop and the men hastily got out of the car and pulled Shawn and Avery from the back of the vehicle. They were in front of a modest home surrounded by forest. Shawn glanced at the mailbox which read, "Mabel O. Miller."

"Huh?" his voice echoed in high pitch. "Maybe the spirits were wrong.."

Shawn and Avery were led inside and to the basement.


	12. Chapter 12

Detective Lassiter and Buzz McNab waited outside of Mayor Swaggerty's office. Buzz was sitting patiently in a chair while Lassiter paced anxiously. He was just about to approach the secretary to express to her one more time his sense of urgency, when Swaggerty's door opened, a man in a formal suit exited, and Swaggerty peeked out and waved for Lassiter and McNab to enter.

Swaggerty circled around and sat at his desk and motioned for the men to take a seat. Lassiter remained standing though, and McNab looked back and forth between Lassiter and the mayor with his hand on the back of a chair, trying to figure out if he should sit or stand. He settled on standing.

"Detective…Lassiter? Correct?" started Swaggerty. Lassiter nodded. "And…"

"McNab, sir," said Buzz.

"McNab," repeated Swaggerty. "What can I do for you two?"

"Well Mr. Swaggerty," began Lassiter, "We are here to express our concerns about the current interim Chief of Police, Harris Trout. We believe…we _know_ that he is involved with a criminal operation."

Swaggerty was silent for a few moments, his face unreadable. "What kind of operation?"

"Well… we are not exactly sure, sir" said McNab. Lassiter shifted uncomfortably. He wished that McNab wouldn't speak.

There was another long silence, and then finally Swaggerty responded. "I see," he said. "You realize those are some very serious accusations."

"We are aware, sir," said Lassiter.

"Hmm. And why haven't you taken up these concerns with Internal Affairs?"

"We have, sir, but they did not take our concerns seriously. And now we need to act with utmost urgency. You see, we believe that Trout, along with two detectives, have kidnapped a former consultant of the SBPD and a teenage girl."

"What consultant?" asked Swaggerty.

"Shawn Spencer, the…psychic."

"Ha. _That guy. _I don't like that guy."

"I don't either, sir."

What makes you think Trout has him?"

"Spencer was suspicious of Trout and believed he was seeking to harm the girl, who might have witnessed Trout at a crime scene. Both the psychic and the girl disappeared early this morning and neither Trout nor the detectives have been seen since."

Swaggerty's brows creased and his head tilted. "That is all you're going on? Chief Trout hasn't been seen for a few hours and suddenly he's responsible for a kidnapping? How can you be sure Spencer and the girl have even been taken by anyone, at all? Maybe they took off on their own."

McNab spoke up. "Mr. Swaggerty, sir, we've found evidence that the girl and Shawn were in an automobile accident and then abducted from the scene by someone in an SUV-like vehicle similar to Trout's."

"Really? What evidence? Are there any witnesses?"

"Well…no," admitted McNab. "There were skid marks and a dented parking meter. Shawn's cell phone was found at the scene!"

"Is that all?..."

"Uh…"

Lassiter spoke up again. "Sir, Trout and two of his detectives have been acting suspiciously for months. They've been communicating secretly with someone using the alias, M.O.M. We have reason to believe that at least one of the detectives is not who he says he is. Now, as soon as Spencer gets a little suspicious, he disappears? I don't believe it is a coincidence. And….I can assure you he didn't just run off. He had a very important appointment this afternoon with his fiancé, and he wouldn't miss it unless something was terribly wrong!" Lassiter was a little surprised that he was standing here defending Spencer. Part of him thought that it would be just like him to disappear at such an important time, but somehow he knew he didn't. He was just too loyal to Juliet. Lassiter knew that Shawn loved her too much to do that to her.

"I'm sorry, you two, but this all sounds circumstantial to me. No wonder Internal Affairs didn't take you seriously! Tell me. What are your credentials again? Lassiter, weren't you just demoted from head detective for questionable practices? And McNab…I gotta be honest…I have no idea who you are. Where do you fit in at the SBPD?"

"A former officer, sir."

"_Former?_"

"Mr. Swaggerty, please!" Lassiter begged. "You have to believe us! Trout was the one who demoted me and fired McNab…"

_"Fired?!"_

"…and he had a reason. He is up to no good, and knew we would get in his way in our former positions. Now we have to act fast! Who knows what he plans to do with his victims…or may have already done?!" Lassiter gulped.

"I'm sorry, sirs, but I am going to have to ask you to leave." Swaggerty pressed the button on his intercom. "Mabel, please escort Misters Lassiter and McNab out of my office."

"But, Mayor Swaggerty!" exclaimed McNab. "You don't know what you're doing! This is a mistake!"

The middle-aged secretary entered the office and motioned for Lassiter and McNab to step outside. They hesitated. "Your appointment is over sirs, it's time to go," she said sternly. Despite her rosy silk shirt and magenta pantsuit, something about her gave off an air of intimidation that forced both officers to obey. As they were leaving, Lassiter took a look at the nameplate on the secretary's desk and his eyes widened.

"_Mabel. O. Miller_," it said.

(20Pineapple20)

Karen Vick's vehicle pulled up to the trashy looking storage lockers that McNab had followed Trout to on two occasions. McNab indicated that both times, Trout had driven up to locker number 107. Nobody appeared to be at locker 107 at the moment, so Karen, Henry, and Gus got out of their vehicle and approached the locker. Henry listened through the door to make sure that no one was inside and then carefully knocked and listened again. There was no answer.

Gus took a closer look at the padlock on the door and grinned. Once again, his subscription to _Safecracker _magazine would prove useful. Gus put his face right up to the padlock and then appeared to sniff it, stroke it, and otherwise look like he was having very inappropriate thoughts about it. Henry and Karen waited uncomfortably until the lock was gently released and the door was opened.

At first, they didn't see anything but some stacks of Rubbermaid containers. The place looked completely innocent and they all were disappointed. Then Henry noticed some pieces of cut rope and a roll of duct tape. He walked over to where Shawn had been sitting less than an hour earlier and he noticed some fragments of bloody gauze on the floor and remembered his son's bandaged burns. Karen happened to be looking in the area where Avery had been sitting and picked up a broken bracelet that looked like something a teenage girl would wear. "Do you think this is Avery's?" asked Karen

"It looks like something she would wear," said Gus. "So, they were here?"

"I think so…" said Henry, pointing out the gauze.

"Well, where do you suppose they are now?" questioned Gus with worry building in his voice.

"I don't know…" said Henry, matching Gus's worried tone.

Karen's phone rang again. She answered. "Lassiter! We…"

_"Chief, Dobson's just radioed that he spotted Trout's XTerra on Mariposa and we're on his trail!"_

"That's great! We'll be on our way. Just keep us posted to where you are headed."

_"Will do, Chief!"_

"Oh, and Lassiter, did you notify Swaggerty?"

_"Uh…yeah. About that, we've got a big problem. I'm pretty sure Swaggerty is in on all of this too."_

"Oh. Crap!" Karen hung up. "Come on guys! We gotta go!"

Karen, Henry, and Gus sprinted to her vehicle and got inside. Karen placed her police light on top of her car and started the siren. "Today's your lucky day, boys. I bet you've never seen my pursuit driving skills in action." Henry and Gus shared a look of surprise and maybe even a bit of fear, and Vick's vehicle took off at full speed.


	13. Chapter 13

Shawn felt a little woozy, not having eaten all day, but at least he had been allowed to empty his bladder and felt much better for that.

"How ya doin?" he asked Avery, who had finally had the tape removed from her mouth. Both of them were still tied up though.

"I'm scared," she said. "What are they going to do to us?"

"Hey! Don't you worry. You are looking at a man who once talked himself out of a beating from a gang of biker thugs…who once escaped from the trunk of a moving vehicle…and outwitted the Yin-Yang killers. I know my antics make it seem like I am not taking this seriously, but that's just how my game works. It throws them off and gives us a leg up. Just trust me." Avery nodded. "Also, I happen to know some of the best detectives in the country and they will stop at nothing to find us. As hopeless as it may seem right now, believe me, it isn't."

"Ok, I trust you," said Avery.

Shawn's eyes wandered around the basement of Mabel O. Miller's house. As he looked around, he realized the contents of Mabel's basement were not the typical contents of a basement. Sure, it was filled with boxes, crates, and containers just like any other basement. But these containers were different. They were fresh, not dusty and mildewy like things that had been sitting in the basement for years would be. Some of them were partially opened and he could see what was inside. There was new stuff inside…electronics still in the box…shiny, sparkly jewelry…designer clothing with tags still on. He even thought he saw a bag that looked much like stacks of cash were piled inside. He thought back to his evening chats with Juliet and what she had told him about all of the robberies that were taking place around town. A lot of the items in this room sounded much like the stolen items that Juliet described. Everything was finally starting to make sense. He frantically added up all of the clues in his head and constructed a perfect explanation. Now all he needed was an audience to witness his spectacular breakdown.

Right on cue, Crofton and Wallace made their way down the rickety wooden stairs, followed by Harris Trout.

"Ok, you two," said Trout. "It's time to go for a walk in the woods." Crofton and Trout hefted Shawn onto his feet, while Wallace picked up Avery.

"OOO! A walk!" said Shawn bouncing around like an excited puppy. "Can I bring some trail mix and my army canteen?!"

"Shut your mouth, Spencer!" said Trout, angrily. "You've been enough of a thorn in my side already. Don't think I'm above adding some torture to your miserable ending."

Shawn was surprised to hear Avery's voice next. "Well…uh…you should know better than to use the word W-A-L-K in front of him. That's a sure-fire way to get him wound up." She smiled at Shawn who returned a proud wink.

"You too?! Oh god! Let's just get this over with," complained Trout.

"Well, wait…" said Shawn. "Don't I at least get to guess what bad juju you've been up to?"

"Ain't nobody got time fo dat!" shouted Wallace.

"Hey! Good one WaWa! I've been waiting to pull out that reference for a while now but you beat me to it!" said Shawn. Wallace grinned for a half second until he felt Trout's and Crofton's death glares shoot in his direction.

"The answer is no," said Trout. We're going _now_." He began to pull Shawn by the arm, but Shawn suddenly began to writhe and flop around like a fish.

"Whoa! Hey! What's happening to me? Avery help me!" Avery's eyes and mouth gaped, as did Wallace's. Trout's expression increased in annoyance.

"What is this?!" demanded Crofton.

"I think he's having a psychic episode," said Avery in astonishment.

"She's right!" huffed Shawn as he continued to flop around like a fish out of water. "I'm channeling someone…who am I channeling?" His flopping stopped suddenly. "Gulliver? Is that your name?"

"Who's Gulliver?" asked Wallace curiously.

"Don't humor him!" said Trout

"Gulliver is a goldfish!" said Shawn. "He says he died here many moons ago and his spirit has been lurking here ever since."

"This is ridiculous," said Crofton. "Get him off the floor."

Shawn ignored him. "Gulliver saw and heard everything. He saw you plotting all those months back…making a plan to put yourselves in the best positions for carrying out your devious crimes without having anyone to catch you in the act. And, what would be the best possible way to get away with this much burglary without the risk of getting caught by the cops? Of course! You had to _be _the cops. But this is even bigger than that isn't it? All of this stuff"— he motioned around the room with his head – "what's it doing here? I mean, why steal it and then keep it stashed in a basement? Sure, you might be able to set up an Ebay account and sell off some of this for cash, but who has the time?

"Ain't nobody got time fo dat!" chimed in Avery.

"Exactly!" said Shawn with a nod to Avery, who grinned. "No. This is all _practice _for something even bigger. I mean, come on, you started with something as brainless as a convenience store knock off. Even a chimp with one leg could knock off Bob's Minutemart. No offense to Bob, of course. You pinned that one on Diego Lopez. He needed to go to jail anyway, I know, but he had nothing to do with that crime."

"Why are we standing here listening to this?!" said Crofton.

"Because you can't help yourself. I'm just _that _intriguing." Shawn tousled his hair and pouted his lips. "But anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. _Then_ you worked your way up to more difficult things…a department store…a jewelry store…a shipment of Japanese electronics. I'm pretty sure that's the one Avery happened to walk in on while she was doing things that I'm sure her father wouldn't approve of if he had known, by the way." Avery frowned grumpily. "Each time, you pinned the crime on some other, not-so-innocent, but unsuspecting criminal. But why?! That. Is. The. Question. Isn't it? Well, to know that, we'd have to ask the mastermind of this plan, which is neither you, you, or you." He said nodding to the three men one at a time. Shawn glanced up the staircase, and noticed just at the top a very familiar black shoe. He knew for sure that it was the always-freshly-polished shoe of a certain tall lanky detective, and that his rescuers were lying in wait for the right moment to make their move.

"Who was the mastermind?" asked Avery.

"They call him Swaggs. But I believe they are referring to the big cheese himself, Mayor Swaggerty. And let's not forget about Swaggs' right hand man…I mean _wo-_man…the infamous M.O.M., or Mabel O. Miller, whose basement we happen to be standing in right now…well, me laying. Swaggs replaced not only the head of the city himself, but also used his dirty henchmen to replace the chief of police, the head of internal affairs, and the two best detectives at the SBPD (One of whom happens to be my beautiful fiancé who is currently carrying my first born, and the other I am proud to say I have no relation to whatsoever). You see, the mayor had some big plans for the city of Santa Barbara – devious plans. What were they, you ask? I'm not sure. Maybe he wanted to turn this place into a major port for drug trade, or weapons, or illegal knock-offs of designer eyewear. We may never know, because everything started to fall apart with their most recent crime. The bank robbery that was supposed to be pinned on the _El Chotacabras…_"

"How do you know all this?!" shouted Trout.

"Gulliver told me. He's a smart fish, and he's got nothing to do but hang around this place all day so he can't help but listen. And by the way, fish-to-fish, Gulliver wants me to tell you that he finds a nice swim through a miniature model of a medieval castle will do wonders to calm those nerves of yours."

"Grrr!" growled Trout.

"This is all your fault Wallace!" shouted Crofton. "If you hadn't missed that shot, the blonde detective would be dead and we would have apprehended _El Chotacabras."_

"I wouldn't have missed if _your _partner hadn't pushed her out of the way."

Shawn seethed when he realized these guys were the reason he almost lost his Juliet and unborn child. "If either of you were _real _detectives, you wouldn't have underestimated the loyalty between long time partners."

"That's enough of this! Let's get going," said Trout.

"Hmmm. Gulliver says he wouldn't do that if he were you…" said Shawn.

"And why is that?"

"Because you might run into us!" shouted Lassiter who was storming down the stairs followed by Vick, a number of SBPD (including McNab), and – was Shawn seeing clearly? – the FBI."

"It's all over, Trout," said Karen. "FBI has recorded everything and taken down Swaggerty. Read 'em their rights, Lassiter."

"Gladly," he said.

"Chief, how did you…?" started Shawn.

"Once Lassiter and McNab realized Swaggerty was in on all of this, we called in an old friend from the FBI," answered Karen. She motioned to a tall dark-haired man as she helped Shawn off of the ground.

"Detective Ewing!" exclaimed Shawn. "That's awesome. Let's keep him away from Jules, though. By the way, where_ is_ Jules?!"

"She's safe. I'll let these guys explain," she said. Gus and Henry were pushing through the crowd to reach Shawn, and began untying his bonds.

"Dad! Gus! Thank God you're here. Avery and I have been waiting for someone to take us out for jerk chicken all day!"


	14. Chapter 14

Avery placed the last bit of her belongings into her backpack and scanned the room one last time in case she forgot anything. It seemed that pretty much everything she owned could fit into her backpack now. Most of her things had been destroyed in the fire, but she didn't mind. Aside from a few sentimental items, she didn't miss any of it. It actually felt somewhat of a relief to be rid of all the material things. There was no longer anything to weigh her down, which made her feel free to take off and do anything she wanted with her life, which was exactly what she planned to do as soon as she was finished with school. She only had one more semester to go, and then she was free.

"Avery, are you ready?" asked Juliet approaching the guest room where Avery stood.

"Um. Yeah. I think I am," said Avery, taking in her last looks. Juliet noticed that Avery looked different from their first meeting. It wasn't just her physical appearance. She still had her piercings and dyed hair, but her look was toned down a bit and now had some more color to it. But also, she just seemed more mature, more content, a little less sad. Juliet suspected she was closer to the Avery she used to be before losing her mom, except much more grown up.

"Thanks again for letting me stay with you guys. It was nice to feel like I was part of a family again, even if just for a little while." She smiled and looked at her feet. "But I don't want to overstay my welcome."

"You know you are always welcome here, Avery. If you didn't still belong to your dad, I would let you stay for as long as you like. Look, I know he isn't the greatest father to you, but he's still your dad and I'm willing to bet that he loves you even if he doesn't always show it…or say it. Some dads are just not very good at being dads, but it doesn't mean they don't care about their daughters." Juliet spoke from her own experience.

"You're probably right."

"But just so you know, if you ever need anything. Even if you just need to talk, Shawn and I are here. Like I said before, you are never alone." Avery grinned.

Shawn stepped into the room just then and added, "…and if you don't mind making a few bucks every now and then, keep your schedule open for some babysitting gigs."

"Ooo, good call, Shawn!" said Juliet. The three left the guest room and started for the stairs

"Definitely!" said Avery, "…speaking of which, I'm sorry you guys missed your ultrasound the other day."

"Don't be a short-necked giraffe, Avery. That wasn't your fault," said Shawn, holding the front door open for both girls and allowing them to pass.

"Besides, we've rescheduled for tomorrow," added Juliet. She turned to Shawn. "Short-necked giraffe?"

"Yeah, you know those black and white striped ones."

"Uh…you mean Zebras?" questioned Avery, while getting into the back seat of a brand new red Honda that had that very morning replaced Shawn's motorcycle. Juliet's Beetle had been recovered from the kidnapping but was still in the shop for repairs.

"Possibly…I don't know. But hey! Avery, you survived your first kidnapping! How cool is that?!"

"_First? _You say that as if I'm planning on being kidnapped often."

"Well, why not? You're so good at it. You should have seen her Jules!- smart talking those bad guys and what not."

"I'm _really _sorry I missed it," said Juliet sarcastically. All three were in the car, and Shawn pulled out of the driveway and headed in the direction of Avery's dad's new house.

"Well, you can be kidnapped all you want Shawn. I'm out!" said Avery.

"No. No. No." said Juliet emphatically. "Shawn is not allowed to be kidnapped anymore! Not if I have something to say about it. I am not going through that again, and I am _definitely _not going to be a single mom."

"You hear that kidnappers!" shouted Shawn out of the car window. "Watch out! You do not want to feel the wrath of my baby mama! And not just because she's a cop!" An elderly couple walking on a nearby sidewalk stopped in their tracks.

"Shawn! I _told _you never to call me that!"

Avery was amused to see Shawn put in his place. Ten minutes and a conversation on the plusses and minuses of keeping an alligator for a pet later, the car pulled up to her new home that was maybe even fancier than the last one. Avery saw her father standing in the doorway waiting for her, and thought she may have even seen some worry and guilt on his face. Maybe he did care about her a little more than she realized.

(21Pineapple21)

The next evening, Shawn and Juliet sat on the bench outside Henry Spencer's beachside home. The sun was beginning to set behind the ocean, and the scent of salt water and gentle swishing of the waves filled their air, which was crisp with a chilly November wind. Juliet was surrounded with Shawn's sweatshirt and leaning against her fiancé, taking in his scent. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. His fingers intertwined with hers and both of their hands rested on her protruding stomach.

"All is right with the world again, Jules," said Shawn. "Swaggerty, Trout, and all of their henchmen are behind bars. Chief Karen Charles Vick and Detective Lassie-face are back where they are supposed to be, and you will be too after our little one arrives…"

"I can't believe McNab gets to be Carlton's partner until then," added Juliet. "Who thought _that _would ever happen?"

"Seriously, I'm still gonna keep an eye out for those pigs. What else…Gus and Rachael are happy. We're happy. My Dad is still grumpy. Lindsay Lohan is still in rehab. Everything is back to normal!"

"Shawn, be sure and tell Gus that I appreciated him sending Rachael over to sit with me the other day. He is a good friend."

"That he is," said Shawn. "I doubt I would have kept him around all these years if he wasn't. But, you know, I really don't let him know that often enough do I?" Juliet agreed but didn't say so. "Remind me to get him a huge box of taffy next time we are at the pier, and a new Xbox since I used his as a workout brick last week, and I might as well spring for the Captain and Tenille tickets while I'm at it. Hmm…I wonder if Rachael can tolerate that? I should ask her first."

"She's really good for Gus, don't you think?"

"Hells, yeah! He's so much less a Mopey Marvin now…I'm really happy for him," Shawn said sincerely.

Juliet cuddled in closer to Shawn. She was proud of him for all of the changes he had made recently. Not only was he stepping up and looking more and more likely to be an attentive father, he was also becoming a better friend to Gus, and a better son to Henry. She just had to know one more thing.

"So, Shawn," started Juliet. "Be honest with me. Are you disappointed?"

Shawn was confused. "Jules, what would I be disappointed about?"

"That we're not having a boy. I know you really wanted a boy." Even though she saw happy tears in his eyes when they saw their baby girl on the ultrasound earlier that day, she had to be sure.

"Jules, I'm going to have a _daughter_." A smile graced his lips when he said the word. I'm…I don't even think a word exists to describe how excited I am."

"Really?"

Shawn leaned over and kissed Juliet passionately. "What does that tell you?"

"Ok, I get it," she said.

"Besides," continued Shawn. "When I said I thought we were going to have a boy, it wasn't because I wanted a boy. Actually, I'm not quite sure I _did _want a boy. Don't get me wrong, it would be awesome to have a son. But…well, you've seen my relationship with my dad. I was just worried that my son and I would turn out the same way…that I wouldn't be able to avoid that fate, you know. And it would be just my luck if we had a boy right now…because I'm not ready for it."

"And you think you're ready for a girl?" asked Juliet

"Are you kidding?! A mini-you! What is better than that?! Now, am I ready for pink tutus?...I don't know…Barbie dolls?...I'm not sure…Hello Kitty?...maybe, that cat is darn cute…Glittery nail polish? Cabbage Patch Kids? Mary Kate and Ashley movies? Rainbow Brite? Skip-it? Mall Madness? Gem and the Holograms…?"

"You do know what decade it is, right Shawn?"

"Well, help me out here. I don't know what little girls are into these days!"

"Shawn, be serious. _Are_ you ready for a daughter?"

"Honestly, I'm probably not ready for anything. What first-time parent really is?" Juliet nodded in agreement. "All I know is, I'm not quite as worried about messing up with a daughter than a son. I believe that would be your job."

"Hey!" Juliet smacked him playfully. "Thanks for that, though."

"For what?"

"Being honest."

Juliet shifted when the baby began moving and she felt the gentle kicking with her hands. Shawn too tried to feel what he could.

"So, now that we know it's a girl, can we start discussing names?" asked Shawn.

"Yes, let's do!" said Juliet excitedly, "I've been waiting months for this!" It was true that they hadn't discussed names so much yet, but Juliet had been thinking about it for quite a while.

"Ok. Let's see," said Shawn. "I'm still partial to Barracuda, unless you'd rather go with Seahorse. Either is good for me."

"Aaah! Enough with the ridiculous aquatic names already!"

Honestly, Jules, I really don't see what you have against them."

"Shawn, I don't get it. After everything we've just been through with a guy named after a fish, I don't understand why you would want to name our daughter after one."

"That's a fair question, Jules. I'll explain this for you. First of all, a trout is a freshwater fish. A barracuda lives in salt water. There's a big difference there. Secondly, if a trout and a barracuda got in a fight, the barracuda would totally win. There's no question about that. I mean, come on! A fish with teeth? Nothing beats that. And finally, I don't know if you realized this, but the man who shot my dad…was also a fish…"

"Jerry Carp!" Juliet realized.

"I just have to believe that not all fish are bad…You know?"

"Ok. That makes total sense…I think. At least in your crazy brain it does."

Silence and understanding fell between them for a few moments, until Shawn finally continued the conversation. "I chose Barracuda when I thought we were having a boy anyway. I suppose it's not that great for a girl, though. What did you have in mind?"

"Do you remember me telling you about my Grandma O'Hara?"

"Yeah, Frank's mom, the one you used to visit during the summers."

"Yeah. I'd like to name our daughter after her. Her name was Margaret, but everyone called her Maggie."

Shawn tried out the name. "Margaret Spencer. Maggie Spencer. Maggs." He nodded and smiled. "Yes, I do believe that works. I like it. I like it very much."

Juliet beamed. It was what she really wanted, but she was afraid that Shawn would think the name was too old-fashioned and that she would have to do some convincing. But he liked it!

"On one condition, though!" added Shawn, and Juliet was momentarily worried that she wouldn't get the name she had chosen. "I also get to name her after my mom…for the middle name, I mean."

The ear-to-ear smile returned to Juliet's face and she said the full name out loud as if addressing the baby inside her. "Margaret Madeline Spencer. I love it."

"That's it then," said Shawn proudly. "Our daughter's name is Maggie!" He put his hand on Juliet's stomach. "Hey, Maggs! Do you approve?" Shawn felt a strong kick to his hand that startled both him and Juliet. "I'm gonna take that as a yes."

"Shawn, I don't want to wait anymore."

"Neither do I, sweetie, but Maggie isn't ready to come out yet. She still has three and half more months of growing to do first."

"No. Not that." Juliet fiddled with her engagement ring. "I think we should get married…soon."

"While you're still pregnant?" asked Shawn.

"We could still have a big ceremony after the baby is born, but yeah…I'd like to do it as soon as possible. I almost lost you this week and I just thought…it made me wonder what we are waiting for."

"Ok," said Shawn. "I'm game. Christmas is only a few weeks away and all of the family will be here. Why don't we do it then?"

"Yes. Let's do it!" said Juliet sitting up excitedly and looking Shawn in the eyes. "Let's get married on Christmas! Well, maybe not _on _Christmas. I'd like to have our own special day to celebrate our anniversary every year, but how about a few days before or after!"

"Ok, then, we're getting married in a few weeks. Holy MC Hammer pants Jules! We're getting married in a few weeks! We need to start planning. Let's go tell my Dad!"

Shawn and Juliet left the now starlight-specked beach behind them and headed hand-in-hand towards Shawn's boyhood home to tell Henry the good news.

* * *

**Stay tuned for installment 3 of the trilogy called "Policemen Don't Have Balls."**

**Thanks for the likes and the reviews!**


	15. Preview for Policemen Don't Have Balls

**Thanks for all of the reviews! I am getting started on the third installment to this series that I decided to call "Better than Pugs."**

**I thought I'd give you a preview of what's to come, at least what I am planning. If there's anything you would specifically like to see in the upcoming story, please don't hesitate to let me know.**

**"Policemen Don't Have Balls"**

**In this third installment of the "Better Than Pugs" series, a Holiday gala (not a ball!) benefiting the SBPD will be crashed by some angry prison escapees and the entire SBPD will be held hostage. Can Shawn and Gus figure out who is responsible and free themselves and their colleagues in time for the arrival of baby Spencer? We should be seeing some reappearances of some of our favorite family members, and hopefully I can work in some more of the Lassiter/Marlowe relationship, a bit of Gus/Rachael, some Shawn/Henry father-son moments, and of course Woody! **


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